On Being Productive During Community Quarantine

Hey! It's been a while! Finally, I found the time to post here again.

Last Thursday night, President Rodrigo Duterte put Metro Manila under community quarantine to protect the citizens from the contagion. This COVID-19 pandemic is really a serious matter that the world is currently facing.. Hoping that you are safe, while reading this, with your family. All of us should better stay at our home, as instructed by the government. I am just quite sad that many are panicking, instead of having a calm and resolute disposition in these times of crisis. I have seen in the market how people would hoard disinfectant stuffs as if they need to stack up for a year.. This is not really a healthy attitude for us, knowing that there are also others who equally need these very important commodities to fight the pandemic. Thank God that the national and local government are doing their very best to pass and execute policies with regard to hoarding of alcohol, facial masks, rice, and other grocery items.

Citizens are also encouraged to avoid crowded places and practice among themselves social distancing. As a personal precaution, our family has decided to cancel all our outside activities. We were sad by this scenario, 'cause my sister together with her husband just arrived from New Zealand last week and that many of our planned itineraries were cancelled. However, I realized that we can still manage to enjoy the rest of this community quarantine days by staying at home.

I am just really summoning more of my introvert self now to enjoy and still become productive for the rest of the days that we don't have classes. So these are the things that I am planing to do:

• Exhaust the use of our virtual classroom - the platform I am currently using to still interact with my learners despite classes suspension. Tomorrow, I will be giving them their Online Long Test, which I prepared last Friday. 
• This is a time for me to catch up with some books I started reading last month and to start reading the books I bought last year that have never been opened from it plastic wrappers. :D
• I could work on with some of my baby projects I was not able to finish, 'cause of the regular school days and routines that have glued my attention. 
• Finally watch my Netflix series and movies I planned to finish last month but failed, 'cause again I became very inundated with things I don't even consider productive at all.. my God I felt like I am wasting my life. 
• Write some posts here in my online hideout - JOABT.  
• Practice my Yoga meditations. 
• Reconnect with my most favorite people in the world - my family!

Perhaps you can relate to some of my plans in maximizing the rest of the month, or perhaps you have your own unique strategy and plan on how you will spend the days. I would like to hear some of your plans. Feel free to comment below.

Stay safe everyone! #COVID-19

PAGASA Rainfall and Flood Warning System

Tropical storm “Mario” hit and caused flood in the greater part of the Metro. Classes are suspended and even some government offices decided to suspend their work because of the heavy rainfall and flooded area.

Many were surprised about the intense rainfall brought by “Mario.” Well perhaps, if most of the people were properly informed by the latest rainfall and flood warning system by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), they could have prepared earlier.   

Hence, I feel the need for this post. Let us be aware of the new PAGASA Rainfall and Flood Warning System and how they should be interpreted.

This is the visual infographic of PAGASA about their rainfall warning:

Click this image to enlarge the view

Meanings of the Color-Coded Warning Signals

Yellow Warning – there is a continuous heavy rain that can be expected for the next two hours. Flooding is possible. People should monitor the weather conditions by listening to weather updates to be constantly informed.

Orange Warning – there is a continuous intense rain that can be expected for the next two hours. Flooding is threatening and people should be alert by now for possible evacuation, most particularly those who are living in low lying areas.

Red Warning – this signal is an emergency call. Serious flooding is expected because the critical level of rainfall has been reached and the intense rain is expected to continue for next two hours. Flooding is serious and people who live in the low lying areas are advised to evacuate.

Sa ganitong mga panahon, ang susi ng ating kaligtasan ay ang laging pagiging handa.
Maging mapagmatyag at alerto rin tayo.

Stay safe everyone!