A HOPEFUL NEW NORMAL Chef Jessie Sincioco, aka the Pope’s Chef, goes back at work for the private reception following the Installation of Cardinal Jose Advincula (shown here with Chef Jessie) as the new Archbishop of Manila. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Slowly but surely we are getting back to normal.
Per the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in IATF Resolution 124, restaurants in Metro Manila, Bulacan and Rizal are now allowed to operate at 40-percent capacity indoors and 50-percent outdoors. The three areas, however, remain under a general community quarantine.
Venues for meetings, conferences and exhibitions are now also allowed at 40 percent of capacity.
Indoor tourist attractions, historical sites and museums can now operate at 40 percent of venue capacity while outdoor attractions are allowed at 50 percent.
For travel, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat and child influencer Scarlet Snow Belo jointly announced there were no more age restrictions so the whole family can take trips together. They both visited Bohol.
Hopefully this will encourage more travel. Note, however, that travel is still subject to the requirements of local governments, some of which require an RT-PCR test even for fully vaccinated visitors.
Let’s hope the Department of Tourism and IATF would either subsidize the RT-PCR test fee (P5,000 can really discourage travel) or lift this requirement soon for fully vaccinated travelers. With quite a few now fully vaccinated, there is newfound confidence in resuming activities and sliding back into the new normal. Please do continue to wear your mask, though.
Vaccinated
After a visit to Makati Medical Center (MMC) last week, I learned that everyone working there is now fully vaccinated—from the doctors to the nurses to the elevator operators. You will really feel safe. Bravo to MMC and its Medical Director, Dr. Saturnino Javier.
The hospital has a wing dedicated to COVID-19 patients, so you would feel safe in the other areas. I mention this to encourage those of you who might have neglected checkups in the past year to please go ahead and visit your doctors again.
I know of some people who have developed cancer, which could have been detected earlier had it not been for their fear of visiting the hospital. You might also want to see an endocrinologist—I strongly recommend Dr. Jimmy Aragon—after eating too much ube pandesal in 2020.
Events are now slowly picking up as well. I am seeing posts of wedding photographers beginning to do same-day edits again. Let’s hope the wedding industry, alongside live musicians, gets its game back.
Reception
Catering is also back. Last June 24, on the Feast of St. John the Baptist, the Archdiocese of Manila welcomed its new Archbishop, Cardinal Jose Advincula. There was a private reception, catered by chef Jessie Sincioco, following the mass for those who attended the installation, especially visitors from the Archdiocese of Capiz, where Cardinal Advincula was archbishop. This kind of dining, albeit strictly following government protocols, has not happened since the start of the pandemic, so it is a sure sign of hope.
On June 29, on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, also called Pope’s Day, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown, led the Eucharistic Celebration at the Manila Cathedral. The church was at maximum allowable capacity and had a full choir.
It was a beautiful celebration with diplomats also present. It almost felt like old times. This was a big leap from last year when the Pope’s Day mass was simply held at the Apostolic Nunciature with just 10 persons present and aired online.
Alert
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), meanwhile, raised the alert over Taal Volcano to Level 3. But President Duterte himself was quick to calm everyone down.
While he provoked critics by joking he would just put a cap on the volcano, his underlying message that may have been missed because of his joke—he really needs a humor translator—was not to panic. He did say he had personally passed by and inspected the area and that the concerned agencies were ready and on standby.
Tagaytay restaurant owners simultaneously posted on their own social media pages the Phivolcs’ confirmation that Tagaytay was not in the danger zone and that any volcanic flow from Taal would not reach Tagaytay. It has been tough for restaurant owners in this area with both the pandemic and volcano alerts affecting business. Hopefully this latest tantrum by the volcano does not disrupt their operations again.
Let’s hope that business continues to pick up for everyone. Having all restaurant staff fully vaccinated would certainly help encourage diners.
After a year and a half of praying the Oratio Imperata every day, we have been blessed with vaccines. Let’s accept this grace and get jabbed so we can live life to the fullest again. INQ