Seniors Stay at Home

[BC57]

13 hours ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

Yeah, like here in Iloilo. The mayor puts out a set of rules for the city of Iloilo. The governor puts out a set of rules for the province of Iloilo.  But... we are both on MGCQ - shouldn't the rules be the same?  They mostly are, but there is no consistency.  Not that I expected consistency ha ha  

Same here in South Cotabato. The governor puts out his guidelines, then Koronadal City mayor puts out his, then General Santos mayor puts his out, all three not the same. As the saying goes, welcome to the Philippines, lol.

[scott h]

4 minutes ago, BC57 said:

Same here in South Cotabato. The governor puts out his guidelines, then Koronadal City mayor puts out his, then General Santos mayor puts his out, all three not the same.

I hate to admit that my wife might actually be right.

She says that once Filipino leaders get some power they do not want to give it up and will use every opportunity to use it. 

She says if a governor just passes on the IATF policy he will appear weak, so he tweaks it, so does the Mayor and then the Barangay captain, then the parok leader...…………...and I thought I was the cynically one 

[hk blues]

5 hours ago, Mike J said:

Agree the rules are confusing as hell based on boundaries, date/time, and latest posting from any level of government.  I go out when I have to and wear my pass and mask.  If I am told to go home, I will be polite, thank them, and do so.

Ditto.The only way to get by here.

[Tommy T.]

I have had no issues here in Davao City regarding being a senior. I just walk into any store and act as if I own the place. Sure... some check my temp using the remote sensor, I wash my hands like everyone else... but that's it. No questions...

They have relaxed the checkpoints now to the point that all they look for is that everyone is wearing a mask and that there are not too many people in a car.

I am certain that quarantine will be lifted soon... Mainly just because restrictions are now so lax...

Apparently, anyone can go anywhere now without an FM card, except for entry to malls... That is not necessarily a mandated regulation, but just the way things are working...

[Tukaram (Tim)]

My wife and I went to PureGold today (we can now go places together).  As we approached the door, the guard motioned over to some chairs and told my wife I would have to wait there (with another foreigner and 2 locals). She asked why, and he said because I was a senior.  She said I was not, and that I was 56. So he asked her my age. She said 56. He asked me my age. I said 56. Then he asked my wife for my ID.  He won't talk to me ha ha (nosebleed?).

I give him my ID and you could see the rusty gears turning. Trying to do the math. I could not really help him, as my wife and I both already gave him the answer.  Finally he looks up at me and says "you are 56", like I did not know.  I smirked (probably lost in my mask) and said 'yeah, no shit'.  I was laughing it off buy my wife was mad.

She said he should not assume anyone's age, and should ask first.  It would suck to be over 60 here, right now... 

It's more fun in the Philippines ha ha  

[Tommy T.]

On 6/12/2020 at 6:57 AM, Tommy T. said:

Apparently, anyone can go anywhere now without an FM card, except for entry to malls... That is not necessarily a mandated regulation, but just the way things are working...

Update: L told me today that this is now official regulation - no FM cards required, no more even/odd numbered days of the week permissions. All checkpoints just look to see number of people in the car and are we wearing masks...

[manofthecoldland]

I am a relatively contented stay-at-home since from my second story 2 sided porch I can view rice fields being plowed right now, grazing carabao, a bit of empty Kankun marsh my bamboo access bridge spans, 4 blooming neighbors' vegetable gardens, a small sari-sari, etc. 

Since they allow only one passenger in our service trike, i make sure my wife gets out practically every day and informs me as to what is or isn't happening.  Nothing I would even bother getting off my duff for it seems.  

She won't go to the R mall right  now because of the strict and rigid protocols they've put in place. She says that you have to wait for a half an hour to enter, since they check IDs for age (even people in their 40's and 50's), temp scan, body spray and take your blood pressure.  Then they only allow groups of 20 to enter at a time.

The two City malls and the two Gaisason's have different policies, not as restrictive, except their grocery stores allow only groups of 5 and 10 at a time. The wet market/palanke has a spray tube you have to walk through and foot mats.  My wife won't go into these since she thinks they put her health at respiratory risk.

No more pass checkpoints, but they are on the lookout for transportation violations. No back riders. Things are lax when there are no enforcers about. 

I don't know what SM mall policies are since our giant one is still under construction.  

Today she made a few runs in (4 km) for ATM, water, and to get a take-out breakfast for me at the G mall's Jollibee.  Since it was before the main mall entry opened, she still had to access it for the only allowed take-away.  She said the guard that allowed her into the Jollibee had her fill out a  form, including where she lived, cell phone number.... and whatever.  I think it was for future contact tracing if needed, although this province has been basically co-vid 19 free for a very long time. Mag Ina Sol and Chow King are not open. Greenwich has dine in but spaced seating.... at the one G. Mall.

More of the beach front restos are opened, but not allowed to serve alcohol, and social distancing at tables, hand sanitizers, masks, etc are in effect.  There is little leisure activity in public spaces allowed right now, and not much reason to go out anywhere except to get essentials. I believe people can exercise walk in the early hours with their masks on and keeping apart.

Things are fairly dead.  Beer and cigs are now available at the saris, neighborhood barbecues operating, small places for fresh fish etc.  The elderly Avon lady with a stroke victim husband stops by, and another neighbor who's trike operator husband has no work still comes over to sell special foods she makes at home to us since her fishball cart vending is still not allowed. Yesterday she sold my wife 2 overhead lights with built in insect zapper wires.... so she is trying to find ways to make  a little money.

With few people working now in transportation, sales, food services, education, etc., I really don't know how people are surviving.  Even a simple diet of rice, vegetables and cheap fish takes some money. Where they get the money for the electricity and water bills is beyond me. The one-shot hand outs aren't going to be much of an answer as this continues.   

The divide between the ' have's ' and the ' have not's ' continues to grow and deepen.  I think I borrowed a few hundred buck till my next pension arrives so I could buy rice for needy relatives and close friends. I can no longer do the weekly food relief handouts I did in April and early May here in my neighborhood..... since my $1200  US stimulus money has still not arrived. 2 months now and still waiting despite my regular SSA direct deposits coming through OK, and having properly filed a 2018 'U.S Fed. Tax return. 

Some governments appear to be deaf, dumb and blind to the survival needs of their constituents.... or incapable of responding effectively.    

I am perversely thankful that they haven't gotten around to screwing up my survival lifelines thus far, but the idea of such is well with the realm of possibility given the current state of affairs.

We may well be witnessing and living through the birth of another Depression Era Generation. Current social and government structures may be nearing the 'Tipping Point' and due for serious revisions.

Of course..... I may be wrong.... but I don't think so. (old quote and ending line lyric of a popular TV series I used to watch on a library DVD .... but I can't recall the program title, despite my past practice of doing a sing-a-long.) Haha.

[Jollygoodfellow]

2 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Update: L told me today that this is now official regulation - no FM cards required, no more even/odd numbered days of the week permissions. All checkpoints just look to see number of people in the car and are we wearing masks...

Just remember, what might be the situation in your neck of the woods is not the same for all. 

[Tommy T.]

8 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Just remember, what might be the situation in your neck of the woods is not the same for all. 

Yes.... absolutely... good point to remember!

[peterfe]

We're still under GCQ in Cebu Province, and like a good boy, I've been following the rules for seniors and stayed at (or very near) home for the past three months. But things are getting more laid back now, so I (over 60), partner and niece (under 21) decided to take a trip to town. The checkpoints were laid back, they only checked our temperature on arrival at the mall, and some of the restaurants inside were dine-in (which they're not supposed to be under GCQ). But what I really wanted to talk about was wearing a mask - this was the first time I'd worn one, except for a few seconds when practising at home. Very unpleasant feeling! Feels like you're half suffocating. Seems they'll be compulsory on all flights - imagine taking a night flight to Europe with one of those things on while you're sleeping! You'd be dreaming that you were drowning, suffocating, I don't know what! Well, if I survived the flight and the country I went to had a rule about wearing masks at all times in public places, I'd make myself a packed lunch and a thermos flask of coffee every day and head for the woods or the mountains where no-one could see me, rather than walk around town in a permanent state of semi-suffocation! Rant over - yes, I know they're important for preventing the spread of Covid-19, but I hate wearing the effing things!