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Revisiting the Philippines in the Ongoing Pandemic

All by myself. Waiting to board to go back to the motherland. 

At last! After almost four long years, and while the pandemic was raging, I was able to visit the Philippines again. Although it was very short, it was a productive visit. I finished the banking errands I intended to do. 

Of course, it was also a time to see my family again, albeit for three-and-a-half days. Better than nothing, right?

I made a short video of that brief sojourn.

I never knew I would miss Jollibee. Even though I'm a healthy eater, my first breakfast was at Jollibee with mom. Then for dinner, we ordered takeout from Aristocrat. I missed torta de los Reyes, their flagship wafer cake. Yum!

One thing I noticed, many stores shut down because of the pandemic. Those were the places we frequented when we lived in Makati City, particularly in the Bel-Air/Jupiter St./N. Garcia areas. As I was walking along Jupiter St. to head to SM Jazz, my favorite hangout spot before, to meet a friend, I felt a tinge of sadness. 

Anyway, I also noticed a shocking increase in the prices of commodities. I know that inflation has gone global, especially emerging from a pandemic-stricken world. But it's sad to think that it looks way overboard in my country. The Jollibee breakfast cost me PhP400 for two people. The amount used to be enough for four people. I mean, I enjoyed having breakfast with mom. It's just weird to discover the hike in the cost of goods. Not many people can afford to live comfortably anymore. I realized. Jollibee used to cater even to low-income families. Now, it could be a luxury.

Well, it's not only Jollibee. I've experienced how expensive it was to ride a tricycle! From a short distance (SM Jazz to Petron Buendia) of about 100 meters, maybe, I paid PhP50! If I remember correctly, I paid PhP30 for a "special" fare back in 2017/2018.

I did not want inflation to mar the excitement of our next visit. This trip was not the last. I made sure. My husband and I flew back in November after our birthdays. That time, we renewed our driver's licenses. More of this trip is in another blog.  


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Location: Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines

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