Palawan, the threat of COVID19 is real. The sporting world itself took the precautionary measure to suspend activities until a cure or until situations around the globe stabilize. I think it is the best solution given current situation since the entire island region of Luzon has been put on enhanced quarantine meaning only essential items can be a ticket for people to go outside, that is to purchase food, medicine, and to some extent, bank transactions. There are directives for some businesses to operate on skeletal workforce of which the company I work for, Conduit Global, will definitely comply to.
These are extreme measures we are taking to curb the covid19 scare. The best we could do at this point is to abide by home quarantine directives and hope and pray that the situation of the covid19 spread is controlled or that a cure is found within the soonest possible time.
Our Philippine Basketball Association decided to postpone the All Filipino conference indefinitely while the National Basketball Association in the US also cancelled the season. It is not clear if the NBA plans to resume in a month or so. Major League Baseball has cancelled spring training and the US March Madness of the US NCAA has also been shelved.
The world is on a standstill with strict quarantine procedures being implemented across the globe with this global pandemic happening. Businesses will be definitely impacted by some work stoppages and any economy will slow down due to this development which is global in scale. Work at home are strictly enforced in some business sectors too.
What I do wish is that we all are disciplined to follow hygiene recommendations by health professionals and to always stay away from mass gatherings at least during the quarantine period.
As of this writing, the entire Philippines has been put under state of calamity and the entire island region of Luzon, Palawan included, is under Enhanced Community Quarantine. Skeletal staff of exempt government units and the full force of the health industry along with essential businesses are the only ones allowed to transact or ply their trade. The rest of us need to do our part. If you are not part of the skeletal staffing, stay at home and protect yourself and family from the covid19 spread.
Let’s hope and pray that after the 30 day moratorium, we can all go back to our way of life which means the virus is in control or a cure has been found. Stay safe everyone.
(The writer is a senior leader in the Business Process Outsourcing industry managing Philippine countryside operations)
