Quarantine ‘Tribute’ Tips
Patricia Aira Sales in Ang Pinoy Stories
Jun 24, 2020 • 3 min Read
We may know Bayanihan as that picture of several men carrying a nipa hut on their shoulders to move it to another place. But now, Bayanihan takes a different picture. Filipinos have managed to bring Bayanihan even online.
The enhanced community quarantine made us face a lot of things. People were stranded. We were restricted from our usual daily lives. Things changed.
We faced basic chores at home that we usually skip, like cooking. It sounds easy but most of us would prefer having food delivered or bought from restaurants and carinderias due to our busy schedules. Most people also did not have the time to attend to the clutters that they need to clean, and now they face it. Some were troubled with what their next viand would be after having cooked adobo so many times.
Families were only allowed to have one designated person with issued quarantine pass.
These people, mostly young adults, were tasked to do essential errands called themselves tributes. The name comes from the movie The Hunger Games where a tribute is chosen from each of the twelve districts to play a game of survival. However, these tributes during the quarantine were designated to go out while the threat of COVID-19 is present. A Facebook group called “Quarantine Tribute Tips” was created by Soc De Guzman to bring these people together online and help each other out. De Guzman first thought of the idea when he went out with his sister to buy groceries and found out that some of the items they bought were not of quality. He then realized a group must be made so that these tributes can share their knowledge of useful stuff.
No man is an island, they say. However, the lockdown imposed saw people going out alone and away from each other to observe social distancing. Indeed, they are apart physically but the QTT group united these people. The group offers a platform for a healthy and wholesome discourse over the most basic of things like frying a fish. Group members would offer answers that have been tried and tested. Some discussions range from workout tips, different ideas for viands to even suggestions for the name of your business! Seriously, these people are witty with their suggestions.
The conversation has also changed throughout the lockdown. These tributes have also discussed important social issues. While most people have become dismissive of other people’s ideas, these people continue to encourage and support each other. QTT’s group moderators were patient in reminding the tributes to follow the rules to keep the group’s chill environment.
One of the group members, Carla Bayongan, said the group has become like a family because the kids and the adults can ask each other questions and learn from each other. Some members even said that their favorite part of the group is the pancit canton time where they are reminded to eat their favorite noodles especially for those with unusual sleeping habits and are still awake at midnight. The group’s positive feel is also a trait the tributes love most, especially because no one is trying to be better than the other.
This is a haven for those looking for some positive perspective. As Albus Dumbledore said, “help will always be given at Hogwarts, [Harry], to those who ask for it.” If a time comes that you need answers, from practical, social, and emotional questions, you need only to ask the tributes. They are always ready to help.
