We’re okay. Traveling back home in time of COVID-19.

A series of unfortunate events forced us to go back to our home country, at least for now. Traveling in time of a pandemic is expensive and stressful. We reached Manila on Labor Day, 1st May. Upon landing, we were told that as returning OFW’s we are required to serve a mandatory 14 day isolation on a government provided facility. We spent at least 12 hours at the airport before settling in our hotel room.

So what happened on that 12 hours outside? Majority of the time were spent waiting for a rapid antibody test at the airport and securing a place to serve the isolation. We heard that some returnees were placed on a ship or a room without a window. It’s definitely a draw of luck where you’ll end up and we consider ourselves lucky to be placed in a 4-star hotel within Manila.

Today, we are on our 5th day of isolation and believe it or not, it can get tough. We created a routine from Day 1 to help us get productive all throughout the day. It also helped that we prepared mentally for this, we got some snacks, books and games to keep us entertained. We also make it a point to communicate with family and friends so we feel connected. Isolation is a test of resilience, you have to be careful of your thoughts.

We are provided 3 meals a day (8-9 AM Breakfast, 11-12 NN Lunch, 5-6 PM Dinner) with coffee, tea and bottled water. A detergent soap is also provided upon our arrival so we are able to wash our delicates on a daily basis. We are thankful to the Philippine Coast Guards for taking care of us, you guys are working tirelessly out of your way. Salamat po!