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Dispatch from Home No. 1: Quarantine Necessitates Routine

I've been mostly writing Dispatches from my home. But this time, when the coronavirus disease (or COVID-19) caused an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon in order to curb the spread of the disease, hence "flatten the curve", I find it fit to chronicle how life has been since I'm confined at home.

Here is my first quarantine dispatch from home.

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Prior to the quarantine, I was expecting to go to the office on a Tuesday. But come Monday afternoon, CNN Philippines reported that according to the presidential spokesman the President will announced an Enhanced Community Quarantine over Luzon. At around minutes before 8pm, the President finally confirmed it—Luzon's on ECQ.


Life won't be the same again. Not just for me, but for everyone.

As I thought it over how life will go on for the next days until, hopefully, at the end of this quarantine the curve is flattened, I realized a few things.

Keeping an industry alive


In the following days of the quarantine, work still went on at home. Work goes on for most of us. Especially for me who works for a newspaper, there is still a duty to be fulfilled.

I wrote two stories for two separate special features last week, and I feel fulfilled that those two special features got published last Friday. In our own special way, our team did its part as the paper continues to roll out and give readers relevant information.

I look forward to do my meager yet 'special' part for the paper as this quarantine goes on.

Bringing the PC back to life


For this quarantine, the laptop I've been borrowing and using to do both work (from home) and ministry has to be lent to my mother who also has to work remotely

I saw on social media companies like Tier One Entertainment and TaskUs doing their best to transport employees' equipment so that they can work (and play) from home. In contrast, organizations like where my mother works don't get that kind of blessing and yet are still expected to have outputs. It's just so sad. Telecommuting has its ups and downs.

I have to sacrifice, going back to the computer where I'm typing this dispatch. I actually have given up on this PC, since it was starting so slow, and at one point it just hanged. I felt more comfortable with the laptop, but after transferring files from this PC to my flash drives I got from several coverages in the field, I found myself typing here.

I also gave up on the mouse before—the right click has been stubborn ever since. But thanks to some magic from my Dad, the mouse can click enough.

I guess we got this during the quarantine. Thank you, computer, for not giving up, and for teaching me not to give up on you.

Giving yourself lots of laughs


The pandemic can greatly affect our health not only for its capability to spread to many people, but also for causing anxiety and even depression for many. I've felt anxious, I admit. But I'm glad that we can be reminded of God's promises in His Word. Times like these convicts me to open the Bible more often.

This is also a time that we need to get a lot of laughter. I'm glad a podcast I've been following, The KoolPals, has been my daily dose of comedy in these trying times since they have been airing daily since the quarantine began. Vloggers I've been following, like CongTV, Junnie Boy, and Emman Nimedez are also serving laughter for me even during college. Try browsing through these bunch of creative, engaging, and even comedic vloggers under the title Team Payaman!

Get some laugh every now and then. We need some cheering up.

So much time, few done


Being confined at home brings me back to those days when I took a long break after graduating in college: sleeping a lot, surfing the Net, reading stuff, and watching sports—all inside the house.

After a year and several months of long rides from Metro Manila and arriving at home at night, I got back to living almost like a 'bum'. But it's so different now since I'm still doing work from home.

There's much I think can be done with the free time I have between tasks. Read books and magazines, listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, learn and do social media for church, watch Netflix, and much more....except using TikTok.

After this first week of quarantine, however, since I'm being initiated into this home-based life, I haven't done much yet. If I will make the most out of this quarantine, then I have to make a routine.

Clay Kannard, a pastor in Rome, Italy, confirms this in an advice on how to make the most of the lockdown:
"Keeping a routine is crucial. We all need a routine. We cannot stay up all hours of the night and sleep until noon just because we don’t have anywhere to go. There is still schoolwork, housework, and spiritual work to do."
I need to be at least guided me through the day so that I don't aimlessly do stuff.

Church's role


Lastly, after monitoring several churches streaming their services online, I've realized that the church has a vital role to do during these times. In fact, churches have been so responsive to the implications of the pandemic.

The quarantine has closed the doors of churches, but the church remains open. Technology has enabled churches across diverse communities to continue their services online. Though socially distanced, social media is keeping brethren in touch.

Now a greater opportunity lies for churches to "seize the 167" hours people are not in the church building, as Brady Shearer banners in Pro Church Tools. The door is wide open for churches to be relevant and meaningful to their communities during these times, giving encouragement, inspiration, and comfort in spite of this anxiety-causing pandemic.

I'm praying that as the Lord works in us, our church will do its best in keeping connected with our brethren. Not all will follow our account, not all will avail of what we can offer during the quarantine, but as long as we pour out our efforts with the skills and wisdom God has put on each servant and volunteer, our service not shall not be in vain.

What are your personal observations in the first week of quarantine?
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