Two local companies made online buzz over the weekend for their “timely,” “humorous” and “witty” general community quarantine posts.
Under the GCQ rules, businesses deemed essential and non-essential by the National Task Force against COVID-19 are allowed to reopen provided they place the minimum health protocols to prevent COVID-19 infections in their premises.
Such decision was made despite some local researchers’ earlier recommendation not to lift the modified enhanced community quarantine due to the gaps in the Department of Health’s COVID-19 data collection and the uncertainty if the curve has been flattened in these provinces and cities.
On Thursday, St. Peter’s Life Plan and Chapel, a pre-need deathCare company, posted the list of places that have transitioned from the MECQ to the GCQ on June 1. It highlighted that Metro Manila will be under GCQ.
The pre-need deathcare firm’s post gained online traction for it was perceived to be “timely” by online users who joked about their worries of getting infected by COVID-19 as the national government eases restrictions in Metro Manila. They cited that several Filipinos are still at risk even with the relaxed quarantine measures and this may result in more deaths.
Some Filipinos then poked fun at the post of St. Peter’s Life Plan, which also calls itself as “death care experts.”
The pre-need deathcare firm’s post gained 147,000 shares, 12,000 comments and 125,000 reactions. Of these reactions, 112,000 of were laughing emojis.
Local restaurant Bad Bird‘s post also made online buzz after it announced that it would not reopen its dine-in services for branches in Metro Manila yet given the risks to its employees and Filipinos.
It, however, said that delivery services would continue via its online store.
In its announcement, the restaurant stressed that it will not tolerate stubborn customers who will refuse to follow the health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 infection. It cited an incident when a woman refused to wear a face mask and sanitize at a mall.
“For pick-up, we will also deny service to entitled people who refuse to wear masks and sanitize. (The other day we saw a mask-less tita calling a security guard ignorant as she was being denied entry to the mall. Eat shit Karen),” the post read.
The post also mentioned the word “curve,” which appeared to be a shade at the country’s current COVID-19 situation.
“Our very straight ‘curve’ wants to go to the moon and we’re nowhere near containing this virus. But we also understand the quarantine doesn’t punish us equally: those with less suffer more. So we’re fine with a slow reopening but taking it with a grain of salt—we might make it work if we all do our part. (Japan has made it work without a quarantine at all, but that’s Japan lol),” it said.
Bad Bird also reiterated to its customers the importance of always wearing face masks while ordering food for pick-up at their stores.
“Unless you have spaghetti-length nose hair, you have no reason not to wear a mask. That annoying mask protects other people, not you. Wear it proudly because you’re doing all of us a great service,” it said.
The witty announcement amused several Filipinos, who praised the restaurant for its humorous and straightforward writing style.
“You win the Internet today, Bad Bird, and tons of well – deserved support through our patronage. Thank you,” a Facebook user Ana Santos commented.
“We Stan harder for Bad Bird! 😁 Glad you have an online store already! Yay!” Facebook user Marc Ignacio also said.
Facebook users particularly commended the restaurant’s use of the common Internet slang “Karen.”
“Eat shit Karen made me love you more,” one of the restaurant’s followers said.
Dictionary.com defines “Karen” as a slang term to refer to an “entitled, obnoxious, middle-aged white woman.”
Asked for the Filipino counterpart of Karen, Bad Bird replied “Tita Baby,” a common nickname of women in the Philippines.
The restaurant’s post had since made rounds over 1,200 times and earned more than 4,900 reactions.
While the government allows the Philippine economy to slowly recover, it deprived Filipino workers with the basic means of transportation during the first week of GCQ.
This forced commuters to walk for hours and board police cars and trucks without observing physical distancing rules despite the threats of COVID-19 transmission.
RELATED: Metro Manila comes back to life although COVID-19 threat lingers