Social Distancing as a Recontextualization of Filipino Values and Catholic Religious Practices: A Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This paper investigates Catholic religious practices and Filipino values in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to show that religious practices conducted with proper social distancing help in the development of a renewed understanding of Filipino values without contributing to the spread of the virus. This qualitative study makes use of expository writing and content analysis. First, religious practices before the pandemic marked by maximum social interaction are presented. Then, the paper shows religious practices during the pandemic marked by social distancing. Thirdly, the paper looks into how Filipino values are recontextualized in relation to religious practices despite the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, the researchers claim that those who participate in religious practices with social distancing do not contribute to the transmission of the virus while still developing a renewed understanding of Filipino values.

A fundamental Christian argument for vaccine promotion.

A recent correspondence highlighted the need to change the COVID-19 vaccine narrative to combat vaccine hesitancy by stressing that vaccination is a moral act. The said article was in response to another correspondence which said that science and religion must work together for vaccine promotion. This article presents a fundamental Christian argument for vaccine promotion by saying that God may have provided an answer to the pandemic through the COVID-19 vaccine.

Social media as tool for the Church's mission and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent correspondence claimed that the establishment of community pantries across the Philippines embodies a spirituality of "Alay Kapwa" as it connects people, especially in a time of crisis such as the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, to be persons for others. 1 This article highlights that the rise of community pantries was primarily aided by social media. It claims that if social media is utilized ethically and with positive disposition and perspective, it can be a powerful tool in the Church's mission of evangelization, and in its response to this pandemic.

Philippine community pantries as a way of helping the marginalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a previous correspondence, the author tried to establish the crucial relationship of the country's public health with the government officials' economic decisions and actions. Understanding such, we look at the perspective of the handling of the pandemic, in terms of economic decisions and actions, in the Philippines. In the country, complaints from the citizens surfaced because the government failed in providing an appropriate response to the economic imbalance generated by the pandemic. Thus, in this paper, we surveyed the sudden engenderment of community pantries in the Philippines as a way of filling the gaps of the government.

Science and religion for COVID-19 vaccine promotion.

A recent correspondence published in this journal proposed a multi-sectoral approach on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination hesitancy, whereas another proposed that religious leaders play a role in gaining the public's trust in COVID-19 vaccine. This article raises awareness that though religious leaders play a huge role in promoting the COVID-19 vaccine, they are still bound by the findings of science. What this article, therefore, proposes is the collaboration of science and religion in COVID-19 vaccine promotion.

Prioritizing the marginalized in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

A recent correspondence pointed out that indigenous people and other ethnic communities should be included in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Indigenous communities carry a unique set of cultural beliefs and traditions that need to be preserved. This paper suggests that, aside from indigenous people, other marginalized sectors should also be included in the vaccine rollout by the government.

The need for mass testing and the proper post-COVID-19 test behavior in the Philippines.

In a recent article, the researcher asked if people's behavior after receiving negative COVID-19 tests contribute to the spread of the virus. It was discussed that even though testing mitigated the coronavirus spread, false confidence among those who have negative results contributed to the spread of the virus. This article, then, proposes that there is a need for mass testing for new virus variants and a foundation for proper behavior after testing.

Pastoral and spiritual care for quarantined individuals and their families.

A recent article showed that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients quarantined in isolation facilities instead of in their homes help control the spread of the virus. Given this, isolation facilities must be promoted, no matter how difficult for the patient and the family. This article recommends that pastoral and spiritual care is necessary for both the isolated individual and the family left behind. Ultimately, pastoral and spiritual care may provide a more profound kind of immunity for COVID-19 patients.

Reinterpreting pagtitimpi as a Filipino value in mitigating the COVID-19 transmission.

Aside from the Christmas season, another cultural period that stimulates abundant tourism and travel in the Philippines is the Lenten season. Hence, this season is a major setback in the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019. Fasting and abstinence, acts which mark the Lenten season, are closely tied up with the Filipino cultural value of pagtitimpi in that both promote restraint and self-denial. Ultimately, this article suggests that reinterpreting pagtitimpi can be crucial in controlling the virus.

An ayuda to the least advantaged: providing a program for those who were hit the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent article, it was reported that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the economic situation of some countries. It led to some people losing jobs amidst the difficult situation that the pandemic caused. Thus, this paper discusses the need to provide a program for the least advantaged citizens so that they can still experience their basic liberties. The least advantaged citizens, as Rawls deem them, are the ones who lost jobs and incomes were hit the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Solidarity as a companion virtue in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper establishes that there is a need to turn to virtue ethics in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the virtue of solidarity can be a companion virtue to compassion for medical frontline workers and other individuals involved. Like compassion, the virtue of solidarity is a reminder that everyone is in this crisis together and that each is responsible for all.

'Bating Filipino': contactless greeting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent correspondence, it was explained that cultural values and beliefs must be taken into consideration in flattening the COVID-19 pandemic curve. With this, cultural awareness is suggested as a guide in coming up with more effective health strategies and policies. For this reason, we discussed the intervention made by the Philippine government and how people can make this gesture as a model for other countries in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.