Q1 - Health Perception/ Health Management

Major Theme: Ensuring Better Health through Better Living Prior and Ahead of Life

A good health is a core component of obtaining happiness and maintaining well-being that it
significantly contributes to a successful aging; as healthy populations are proven to be more
productive, able to financially save more, and generally live longer. For ensuring a healthy life
cycle, a healthy and balanced diet, manner of good hygiene, obtaining adequate exercise, and
getting enough sleep are all needed. (Quddusi M.A. 2019)

It was described in a study by (Pachalska M., Blanchio A., & Ziolkowski A 2015) that aging
is interpenetrated with a slowly degenerating health, suffering from age related complications, a
plummeting physical condition, a decline in superficial attractiveness, loneliness, and ailments.
Along with the ongoing pandemic due to COVID-19, the chances for these circumstances to
happen may considerably increase. Nevertheless, establishing a healthy lifestyle and sustaining a
good health as a part of daily living practices could help cope with the prevailing situation. In
light of it, the researchers discussed how the respondents manage their health before and during
quarantine depicted through several sub themes.

Sub Theme 1.1 Stay Fit, Stay Healthy

Based on the responses of the participants, four (4) out of eight (8) of them conveyed to
practice some healthy habits such as sleeping on time, eating nourishing foods, and exercising.
Three (3) of the participant’s daily living didn’t change much before and during quarantine
except for now that they consistently just stays at home. They were able to maintain the lifestyle
they have before the quarantine stating that there is not much change that happened to how they
manage their health before compared to during the quarantine period as what they stated in the
following responses.

S.F.: “Walang pinagbago, natu-tulog parin sa oras at kumakain ng masustansyang

pagkain kagaya ng gulay.”

A.L.: “Hindi ako lumalabas ng bahay at inaalagaan ang sarili sa pamamagitan ng pag
inom ng vitamins at pag e-exercise kagaya ng pag bisikleta.”
 N.S.: “Ganon parin, Umiinom ako ng walong basong tubig, natutulog ng pitong oras,
kumakain ng masustansyang pagkain at nag e-ehersisyo.”

Their health habits that didn’t change much includes sleeping adequately for seven to
eight hours, eating healthy foods which are substantially comprised of vegetables, exercising
such as engaging into biking.

On the other hand, one participant met an unfavorable situation wherein they could
exercise before but now they seldom do so and this affected his quality of life due to lack of
exercise. Although Participant A.O. stated that since the pandemic started his biking activity
has lessened he was still able to do it once in a while.

A.O.: “Bago mag-quarantine nag bi-bike ako at sa ngayon minsan minsan na lang ako
nakakapag ehersisyo.”

According to (Noh W., Hong M.S., & Kim G.M., 2018) some of the most significant
influencing factor which affects the senior citizen’s quality of life in terms of health related
constituent are their activities of daily living like daily food consumptions, ability to exert
physical activities such as exercising and quality of sleep.

Sub Theme 1.2 Good Medicine for Good Health

Two (2) out of eight (8) participants’ way of ensuring their health was to drink vitamins
and their prescription medicines during the pandemic. They emphasized that before the
pandemic they were able to still go out and socialize however due to the widespread cases of
COVID-19 they currently chose to remain at home and continued to take their vitamins and
medicines as means of building up their immunity and avoiding health complications as
explained by the following participants.

D.R.: “Bago mag quarantine nakakalabas pa, sa ngayon kapag pwede lamang lumabas
ay nakakalabas ako at umiinom rin ng vitamins at gamot sa puso”

C.P.: Bago mag quarantine nakakapag pag pa-check up. Ngayon hindi na kasi natatakot
pumunta sa ospital at umiinom nalang ng maintenance kong gamot at nag do-doble
ingat”.
 They emphasized that their quality of life was affected because even though they were
able to drink their prescription medicines and vitamins during the pandemic, they were not able
to go out and meet their doctors for their health evaluations in hospitals due to the fear of
acquiring the virus.

As stated by (Martirosyan D., & Polamarasetti P., 2020) aging individuals or those that
have dysfunctional immunity are more susceptible to the COVID-19 virus and because nutrition
has an immense effect on the immune system, improving the body’s defense system by eating
nutritious foods and drinking vitamins helps to prevent viral infections.

Sub Theme 1.3 Stay at Home, Save Lives

In accordance with the statements of the two (2) out of eight (8) participants, remaining at
home and not going out of their residence is the most crucial part of their health maintenance
during the pandemic. They attested that they were able to go out before the strike of COVID-19
but at present they only remain at home to keep themselves safe as what they affirmed below.

F.C.: “Bago mag quarantine nakakalabas ako ng bahay, ngayon naman umiiwas nalang
at nananatili sa bahay”.

C.A.: “Kung ano lang din ang nakasanayan. Bago mag quarantine nag-work, pero
ngayon hindi na at nanatili nalang sa bahay.”

The two participants focused on the given guidelines by the government and decided to
not go out from their homes to steer clear of people outside to keep themselves safe from the
virus. Participant F.C. strongly emphasized that he strictly avoids going out to keep himself
from harm’s way. Meanwhile, Participant C.A. also decided to not go out because he was not
able to work during quarantine anymore so he decided to just stay at home to minimize the
possibilities of acquiring the virus. Consequently, the two participant’s quality of life in terms of
health maintenance was affected during quarantine as they were not able to go out of their homes
and thereby remained stuck at home.

Based on a study by (Engle S., Stromme J., & Zhou A., 2020) disease prevalence and
stay-at-home policy are interconnected with each other in which the local infection rate can
decrease in association with reducing mobility and choosing to remain at home. Thereafter, with
the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the choice to remain at home and avoid interacting with
crowded places as much as possible fosters better safety precautions and disease prevalence.

Thereafter, four (4) participant’s quality of life in terms of how they manage their health
has minimally changed due to the pandemic bounded by not being able to go out of their homes
but still managed to keep their lifestyle healthy by focusing on their nutrition and physical well
being. Meanwhile two (2) participant’s quality of life was affected because they were not able to
make hospital endeavors that they necessarily need for their health condition during the
pandemic. On the other hand, another two (2) participant’s quality of life was also affected
because being quarantined immobilized them from going out of their homes.

Q5 - Value Belief

Major Theme : Initial and Prevailing Faith across our Lifespan

Faith and spirituality is increased through years of life, and elderly people have more
mature spiritual experiences which significantly affects their quality of life through satisfying
their hopes and beliefs. (Taghiabadi M., et. al., 2017) with the devastating effect of COVID-19
pandemic that placed a worldwide restriction to most of the movements of every individual,
needless to say churchgoers are greatly affected as well. Filipinos are known to be one of the
most devoted in terms of faith and religion with more than 86% of the population being Roman
Catholics as stated by (Miller J. 2021) and that majority of Filipino people are consistent in
attending masses very often.

Sub Theme 5.1 Faith over Fear

Based on the responses, five (5) out of eight (8) interviewees described the difference of
their religious affiliation to have minimally changed before and during the pandemic in terms of
their ability to attend the church. They confirmed that they attend to church masses before
quarantine but as the quarantine started they weren’t able to do so anymore due to restrictions of
mass gatherings especially towards senior citizens. Nevertheless, to compromise for their
inability to attend an actual mass they leaned towards praying as means of showing their faith
which are correspondingly extracted from the following statements.
 S.F.: “Dati nakakapag simba pero ngayon bible study nalang”

In correlation with Respondent S.F., he stated that before quarantine he could still go to
church but because of quarantine we was not able to do so anymore and that he resorted to attend
bible studies instead.

A.L.: “Dati minsan-minsan nag si-simba pero ngayon bawal kaya hindi na nakaka
simba”.

Coinciding with Respondent A.L, he was also not able to go to church anymore which
he still does before quarantine started because he was not allowed to just deliberately go out and
attend the church.

D.R.: “Dati nakakapag simba kasama ang pamilya, noong nag quarantine hindi na pero
nag da-dasal parin.”

N.S.: “Dati nakakapag simba tapos ngayon hindi na kasi bawal kaya nag da-dasal
nalang ako.”

A.O.: “Bago mag quarantine, minsan-minsan lang ako nag si-simba, Noong quarantine
hindi na pero nag da-dasal parin kahit nasaan”.

Harmoniously declared by Participants D.R., N.S., and A.O.; they are all able to
constantly go to church before the quarantine and as the quarantine started they weren’t able to
do so anymore. Instead, due to their faithful perseverance they still prayed whenever they can
even if they were not able to physically be present in churches.

(Tudy R., 2020) argued that the Faith of Filipino people may have been tested during this
pandemic due to the absence or scarce access to communal spiritual activities such as church
masses. Doing church activities has been a way for Filipinos’ to satisfy their spiritual needs but
with the COVID-19 outbreak these activities has been halted, at present, there was some gradual
modifications to restrictions in conducting the said activity and minimal face to face masses has
been allowed with limited capacity, although, yet again the senior citizens are still not allowed to
participate due to their age group. Simultaneously, fear of death due to the pandemic still creeps
towards people so some still avoids going to church despite having permission to do so. In the
end the participants concluded that praying at home is all they could carry out at present to
convey their faith and belief.

Sub Theme 5.2 Turning Faith into Advanced Modernity

Three (3) out of eight (8) interviewees articulated that before the COVID-19 outbreak
they were able to go to church and pray but successively followed by the pandemic their
religious activities was interrupted indefinitely. On that account, the following responses was
stated by the participants.

F.C.: “Dati nag si-simba ako, ngayon bihira na lang kaya nanonood nalang ng live na
simba.” (Before I could still go to church but right now I hardly ever do so that’s why I attend
through online mass.)

C.P.: Bago quarantine nakakapag simba bawat linggo, ngayon online mass nalang dahil
takot lumabas.” (Before I go to church every week but at present I wasn’t able to do so because
I’m scared to go out which is why I attend online mass.)

C.A.: Dati nag si-simba ako, ngayon online mass nalang.” (Before I go to church but
right now I don’t and only attend to online mass.)

Incontrovertibly, Participants F.C., C.P., and C.A.., was all able to attend the church
sequentially before the quarantine but during quarantine, movements has become scarcely
limited to only necessities thereby impeding them from going to churches and pray. By that very
fact alone, their faith might have wavered but still it was retained during the pandemic because
they were able to find alternative ways to attend the Holy mass towards which an online mass
has become their new solution.

All of the eight (8) participants’ quality of life in terms of values and beliefs has been
affected during the quarantine in view of the fact that they were unable to attend the Holy mass
physically and receive the holy Eucharist which is a huge part of being a devotee because of the
restrictions of travel.

As the world has gradually coped up with the new normal of always staying at home, the
internet and media has become everyone’s mean of communication outside their homes. As the
fear of the COVID-19 intensified further along the pandemic, people are still hesitant to attend
actual masses despite health standard adherences and minimum social interactions. (Tudy R.,
2020) In spite of this dire situation, Filipino citizens’ never lost faith and through advanced
modernity they were still able to attend mass through online conference from their homes to
lessen their anxieties and incline themselves toward their spiritual beliefs.