From the changes COVID-19 brought to our day-to-day operations—and there have been plenty—perhaps none are felt as clearly as physical restrictions.
Wide-scale commuting came to a halt as home office setups became the norm. Apprehension over traveling to shops and markets enabled a boom in social media shopping. And for those with the resources to take their breaks from work away from the usual setting, 2020 postponed plans indefinitely. Domestic travel was fraught with shifting regulatory requirements, and international travel became even more complicated, if not outright impossible.
This is not to say we are unwilling to understand the rationale behind these decisions; on the contrary, our research has proven that preserving safety is a priority for many Filipinos of all backgrounds.
But as a society that thrives on the global citizenship which tourism offers—and as a country that relies on tourism for its significant…