Doing My Part for COVID-19: Together Possible!
April 2020
Maintaining good hygiene is an important barrier to many infectious diseases as it promotes better health and well-being. To stay healthy, we need to work together in using clean water for sanitation and proper hygiene, ensuring food safety and nutrition, caring for our environment, and promoting Filipino culture and values.
What more can I do? How can I support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic?
1. Practice personal hygiene at all times
Wash hands and bathe regularly
Proper handwashing with water and soap kills viruses! Always do it after touching any surface, buying from the market or grocery, receiving any items and bringing them inside the home, or other instances that require contact. Regular bathing is also essential in maintaining overall health and wellbeing aside from thoroughly disinfecting your body after grocery shopping.
Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or handkerchief, or use the inside of your elbow. Throw tissues in the trash bin right away and wash the handkerchief after use. Immediately wash your hands with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub, as advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Wear mask
Wear a mask, especially if you have a cold or cough. It automatically covers your mouth when you cough or sneeze. If the mask is washable, wash it immediately after a day's use or when soiled, and dry it under the sun. If the mask is disposable, dispose of it properly.
Practice social/ physical distancing
Stay at least 1-2 meters or 3-6 feet from other people. Social distancing or physical distancing means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. Limiting face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Avoid contact with others outside your household in indoor and outdoor spaces as much as possible.
2. Sanitize surroundings and surfaces at home regularly
Maintain cleanliness at home
Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. It is suggested by CDC that constant cleaning of surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in households and community settings. Also, don’t forget to properly dispose of household wastes!
Clean frequently touched surfaces
If surfaces are dirty, clean them! Clean and disinfect touched surfaces frequently. This includes phones, laptops, tables, doorknobs, gates, light switches, and faucets. Use the method appropriate for the surface. There are different options for disinfection including the use of household bleach or disinfectants, or the use of alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol.
3. Cook simple and nutritious one-dish meals
Consume a wide variety of locally grown vegetables
Provide yourself and the family with a variety of nutritious and safe meals. Level up your cooking skills and mix a variety of affordable and nutritious vegetables like squash, kangkong, spinach, sayote, malunggay, and camote tops. Check out this Filipino recipe book for simple nutritious meals using indigenous vegetables published by the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR).
Select a variety of root crops, fruits, and alternative protein-rich food
Consume various locally grown root crops like sweet potato and cassava; fruits like banana, mango, avocado, papaya, and guava; and protein-rich food options such as monggo, toge, bataw, spinach, eggs, and peanuts. They can reinforce essential nutrients needed daily. Explore recipes using available food resources to help lessen food waste by preventing spoilage of food, and by ensuring safety and safe food handling at all times.
4. Always wash food before cooking
Clean all food items brought home from the market and groceries
Eating a variety of food provides important health benefits but we should properly select and prepare them to ensure food safety. Always wash and clean fresh food like fruits, vegetables, and meat during preparation and cooking. Sanitize the packaging of sealed packaged foods from the grocery by wiping with a disinfectant or 70% alcohol.
Store used water and recycle for watering plants
Conserving our natural resources, such as water, is important to sustain our practice of good hygiene, food safety, and food preparation. Let’s make it a habit to save, store, and recycle water used for washing the vegetables, fruits, or root crops during preparation and cooking — use it to water the garden!
5. Enjoy home-cooked meals
Rekindle relationships and eat together with family members
Good food connects people. Take home-cooked meals as an opportunity to bond and reconnect with family members at home. A healthy mind and body, partnered with a happy tummy, fit nicely with the holistic approaches needed to prevent disease and improve mental and physical health.
Dine, work at home, and reconnect online with families and friends
Maintain your social networks by socializing with family and friends at home, or virtually through video calls. Stay connected despite the distance— dine, work, and reconnect online with the use of technology via phone, email, or social media.
6. Find solace and revive your hobbies
Make time for gardening
Did you know about the many health benefits of gardening? Home gardening can be a great way to exercise and reduce anxiety while growing nutritious fruits and vegetables. In addition to that, it even helps protect our environment! Explore opportunities to boost positive thoughts and feelings. It’s time to unwind!
Engage in sustainable and low-carbon activities
Put down your phone and give yourself a break from watching, reading, listening to the news, or scrolling through social media. Make time for hobbies and have fun indoors! Do activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Read a book and write interesting stories. Spend quality time with family through painting, gardening, recycling, playing fun games and storytelling about the environment with children— learn how to save Mother Earth!
7. Solidarity in trying times—together, possible!
Be informed! Check official sources for Enhanced Community Quarantine guidelines.
Rely on legitimate sources of information and stop spreading fake news. Be a responsible citizen and do your part.
Help when you can!
Check in your community on who may need extra assistance. The families of our fishermen of Lagonoy Gulf and Mindoro Strait need our help as their livelihoods are affected by the pandemic. Support their fundraiser at bit.ly/BigasParaSaMangingisda and let’s help our fellow Filipino fisherfolks. Find out how you can do your part to help more through this link: helpfromhome.ph. Together let’s #ChangeTheEnding, it's possible to create solidarity against COVID-19!
Always remember! Do your part anytime and anywhere!
Click the links to download these free wallpapers!
Mobile: bit.ly/DoingMyPartMobileWallpaper
Desktop: bit.ly/DoingMyPartDesktopWallpaper
References:
- World Health Organization (WHO), 2020. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. Retrieved from: who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2020. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): How to Protect Yourself. Retrieved from: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
- International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), 2017. Katutubong Gulay Recipes. Retrieved from: files.wordpress.com/2017/04/katutubong-gulay-recipe-book.pdf
All sources were accessed on March 27, 2020.
The Sustainable Diner project, under Sustainable Consumption and Production, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
The Sustainable Diner Project Team:
Melody Melo-Rijk, Jonna Ellaine Jordan, Lorayne Therese Roque, Alexa Jeanne Lasch, Liezl Stuart del Rosario, Kristan Gabriel Villalon
Design and illustration by Jonna Jordan and Gabriel Villalon
For more information, please contact:
Melody Melo-Rijk
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Project Manager
mmelorijk@wwf.org.ph
Jonna Ellaine Jordan
Integrated Marketing Communication Specialist
jjordan@wwf.org.ph
Lorayne Therese Roque
Sustainable Consumer Specialist
lroque@wwf.org.ph
