World Through COVID-19, Philippines
One of my favorite things about traveling is meeting new people and luckily, I’ve met so many remarkable people through my travels. Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll be talking to friends across the globe to see how this pandemic has affected their country and community.
This week, I got to chat with Krizia Dancel Gango who lives in Bohol, Philippines. I met Krizia in Bali last year while we were standing in line to see the Lempuyang Temple, an Indonesia tourism staple where Krizia and her now fiancé got engaged! I was so glad to connect with Krizia again, and hear her insight on COVID-19 and how it is affecting her community.
Philippines as it stands today:
4,932 confirmed cases, 315 deaths, 242 recovered, 1,293 suspects for validations.
Bohol still doesn't have any cases. They are taking drastic measures to ensure they don't get any since their hospitals aren't prepared or equipped for it.
As a tourist destination, Bohol specifically has been feeling the affect of COVID-19 since January, even without a single confirmed case.
Krizia was planning on getting married this year, but had to postpone her wedding and halt all wedding planning. It's unclear when they will postpone their wedding to since even after quarantine is over, people will still be nervous to travel.
All nearby provinces are doing the same thing as Bohol.
Medical Status:
There is a PPE shortage, but there are some organizations that are donating PPEs to the front-liners
A lot of citizens are creating their own PPEs to stay safe
Only a few hospitals in the country are prepared to handle COVID-19 cases, most of them in Manila. This is why the government had very strict restrictions from the beginning.
Testing is limited. You can only get tested if you have symptoms.
Government and Economy:
The government is prioritizing the poorest of the poor by giving them food.
Middle and high class aren't as supported by the government, but there are still some benefits.
The Governor acted fast when Manilla got their first case by closing their borders immediately. Even Boholano citizens who were traveling during that time couldn't get back to their province.
Since the economy depends on tourism, it will be a very slow recovery.
Restaurants are only accepting take out orders. Malls have shortened operations. Pharmacies, hospitals, and the essentials are still open.
Each household has only one representative that can go out for the essentials. They also have checkpoints around the province where you have to show a permit to go out along with your ID.
Huge thanks to Krizia for giving us more insight on what’s going on in the Philippines!