Days ahead of Christmas Day, Eyah Manansala, a single parent of two teenagers, said she is already busy planning what to cook for Christmas Eve.

Manansala said she went to the Blumentritt Wet Market early morning Wednesday with his 18-year-old son to avoid the influx of shoppers who need to buy fresh produce for the holidays.

“Bumili kami ng (We bought some) beef, chicken, fish and vegetables. I received canned goods from our company and Christmas gift basket from Mayor Isko Moreno so there’s really no need for us to go to the supermarket,” she said.

Since she wrote a detailed list of the food items she needed before going to the market, Manansala and her son only spent an hour in the area.

“(It’s important to) know where to buy and have at least two options where to buy, sa mga suking tindera ganyan (from your trusted sellers). Also, avoid buying from a crowded store because it will eat up your time,” she advised.

“The longer we’re outside, the higher the risk of getting any form of virus. So, going out for a short period of time to buy what we need is for your safety, for our families’ safety,” she added.

While there is increased police visibility at the Blumentritt Wet Market as Christmas Day inches closer, Manansala said many shoppers still violate the minimum health protocols set by the Department of Health (DOH).

“Most are not aware of the face shield requirement. Pero kami bago umalis ng bahay (But before we left the house), we’re prepared with face masks, face shields and alcohol,” she added.

On Tuesday night, the DOH released a health advisory on holiday shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its advisory, the agency reminded the public to identify whether their planned activities for Christmas is “keri” or “skeri” using the “peligrometer” or peligro (risk) factors.

These are some things to remember when going outdoors:

– Number of people – Are there few people in the places you intend to visit?

– Crowding of people – Would you be able to observe physical distancing of at least one meter from other people?

– Duration of activity – Would you be able to complete your shopping for less than 15 minutes?

– Environment – Is there proper air ventilation in the area?

– People’s actions – Would you be able to avoid speaking, shouting or any action which may involve spitting or saliva or respiratory droplets?

– Personal protective equipment (PPE) – Are you and the people around you able to wear face mask and face shield properly? Will there be a need for you to remove your PPE?

The DOH advised the public to postpone shopping or any outdoor activity if most of the answers to the questions above are “skeri” (scary) or negative and to find an alternative way to purchase safely like online shopping or pasa-buy.

“Hangad ng DOH ang masaya at ligtas na pagdiriwang ng ating Pasko ngayong taon. Ating tandaan na ang pinakamagandang regalo na ating maibibigay sa ating mga sarili at mga mahal sa buhay ay ating kaligtasan at mabuting kalusugan ng bawat isa (The DOH hopes for a merry and safe celebration of Christmas this year. Remember the best gift we can give ourselves and our loved ones is our safety and good health),” the agency said. (PNA)