Related Research Works

Chin M., et al (2020) studied the changes in family life and relationships during

the COVID-19 pandemic and their associations with perceived stress. The study

explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed family life and relationships as well

as how these changes affect perceived stress among married men and women. The

study also examined the changes in family time use, household work, child care, leisure

activities, income and expenditures along with relationships between spouses and

children. 

Due to the pandemic crisis, leisure activities have changed toward more time

watching TV or online media and playing online games and less time on outdoor

activities, shopping, and meeting friends. Furthermore, the study found that negative

changes in child care and in relationships with children did not affect stress among

married parents with children in elementary or secondary school. Relationship with

spouses and children has strengthened due to the lockdown implemented by the

national government.

Bargonovi F. and Andrieu E. (2020) explained social capital and COVID-19

pandemic. Social capital describes the social bonds that exist within a community

wherein the result showed recreational mobility mostly declined in high social capital

countries before the regulations and preventive measures are introduced to prevent the

spread of the virus. Also, countries with high levels of social capital reduced mobility

faster than individuals living in countries with low levels of social capital and that they

especially reduced mobility directed at non-essential activities and recreational activities

with higher potential risk. Thus, an increase in the number of diagnosed COVID-19

cases were all associated with a decline in recreational mobility but that effects were

heterogeneous and depended on community level social capital. Therefore, the level of

vulnerability of communities with a large share of the population suffering from pre-

existing medical conditions and low levels of communities’ social capital are especially

susceptible to experiencing severe health outcomes because of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdowns fundamentally changed families’

everyday lives wherein the importance of everyday practices was emphasized by many

parents. According to the study of Salin, M. et. al (2020), coping strategies were

situated on three analytical levels: (1) macro-environmental (flexibility of paid work,

services and support provided by society, social relationships, and unofficial support),

(2) relationship (agreements about everyday practices, flexibility in everyday practices,

family time, and family conversation) and (3) individual (personal attitude, personal time,

and flexibility regarding paid work standards).

Macro-societal environment surrounding families, their relationships, and the

interactions between family members, as well as individual decisions and attitudes

affects the coping strategies of different families. In particular, families with children

have faced different kinds of challenges regarding how to organize and manage their

everyday lives. Due to the lockdown implemented by the government, school premises

and daycare facilities were closed which resulted in many parents being solely

responsible for childcare and homeschooling. This also resulted in an increase of family

bonding time as they spent most of their time at home. Balancing work and childcare

became impossible to handle by some parents, which they ask for social support.
 The study of Güzel, Pinar et. al (2020) "Know-How" to Spend Time in Home

Isolation during COVID-19; Restrictions and Recreational Activities" identify the

emotional, physical, psychological, and social states of individuals who had to stay

home for a while due to the measures taken to prevent the spread of the COVID-19

pandemic and to determine what kind of recreational activities they preferred during this

period.  The study suggested that it is necessary to resort to recreational activities in

order to both reduce the spreading effect of the virus in isolation at home and to

overcome this process with the least negative impact, and individual and institutional

efforts should be made for this.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive uproar as it has affected

millions of lives around the world. Lockdown was implemented by the national

government as suggested by the WHO organization to minimize the spreading of the

virus. It has been determined that the lives of individuals staying home due to

coronavirus are affected by anxiety and stress, their physical mobility and physical

activity were limited. Individuals isolated at home in this challenging process stated that

they could lessen the psychological, physical, and socio-cultural effects of COVID-19

with recreational activities. 

Physical activity and exercise is known to help combat chronic diseases that can

affect mental and physical health by boosting the human’s immune system (Jimenez-

Pavon et al., 2020; Siordia, 2020). However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced

individuals to quarantine, isolate, social distance, and change their lifestyle, causing a

decrease in physical activity by 32% in individuals who had regularly performed

exercise before (Meyer et al., 2020). College students are a unique population of study,
because most universities converted to virtual format and students were advised to stay

away from campus according to Ramirez, Omar and Bernhardt, Vipa (2021). 

The Covid-19 pandemic has a huge impact on the exercise habit of the majority

of college students, some changes are for the better and most of it are for the worse.

Some of them are experiencing anxiety and are having hard time to adapt to the

changes that were caused by the pandemic. The government and public health

authorities should prioritize the prevention and mental health suffering of not only

college students, but other people as well. Encouraging the maintenance of physical

activity during the COVID-19 pandemic as it is said to be beneficial.

According to Leal, Trinidad Jr. and Burt, Daniel J. (2021), a significant shift in

behavior of college students was seen from before and during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Although we expected some categories to have a significant change, the majority of

categories demonstrated considerable amounts of alterations in behavior. Interpretation

of these results determined that COVID-19 lockdowns may serve to place more active

recreation activities at risk, but there is a propensity for individuals to use the time wisely

and successfully in regards to certain health and school behaviors. The effect of the

pandemic is not the same for everyone because of different behaviors and coping

attitudes of individuals. 

Student mental health in higher education has been an increasing concern. The

COVID-19 pandemic situation has brought this vulnerable population into renewed

focus. According to the study of Barkley, J.E. et.al (2020), due to the COVID-19

pandemic, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and bodyweight of university students

and employees has been affected. The study showed that undergraduate students

significantly decreased mild physical activity, participants who were the most active

before the pandemic decreased total physical activity, and there was a significant

increase in sedentary behavior in the total sample. Both decreasing physical activity and

increasing sedentary behavior is concerning as both are positively associated with a

variety of negative health outcomes.

The pandemic has turned a lot of Filipinos to try home gardening. While the

country is under community quarantine, people are encouraged to stay at home if they

have no important things to do outside for their own safety. While on quarantine,

Filipinos always find time to make their stay at homes more productive. Because of this,

a new wave of people who have kept themselves busy by caring for plants and finding

new ornamentals for their collection was born and they call themselves “plantitos” and

“plantitas. For others who lost their jobs, they started to venture in this, become

"plantitos" and "plantitas", and sell what they make. While collecting plants has been a

trend for the past weeks, it is also good to note that there are organizations that support

small entrepreneurs who sell these plants, be it a government agency or a private

business establishment according to Tumabao (2020).      

Related Non-Research Works

Recreational activity has substantial health benefits (Kahlmeier et al 2014). For

example, walking has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by

around 30% and all-cause mortality by 20% (Hamer and Chida 2008). In Norway, as

elsewhere, citizens tend to ascribe great meaning and well-being to everyday walking in
green environments such as parks and forests (Gundersen and Frivold 2008, Rybråten

et al 2019). Numerous research studies have also shown that to recreate in green

environments is more important for mental health benefits than recreation in urban grey

areas (Fong et al 2018). 

Recreation and leisure activities have long been an important part of the British

economy and way of life. However, the way that people have spent their leisure time

has drastically shifted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Due to the

lockdown imposed by the government, closure of all theatres, cinemas, gyms and

leisure centres, restrictions have limited consumers’ ability to participate in recreational

activities. Instead, new recreational activities may come to the forefront following the

pandemic. Video games and Esports have both boomed during the pandemic, and

could potentially become premier leisure activities in the future. Meanwhile, online

classes, from exercises to cooking, have benefited from rapidly increasing demand and

could become the new normal (Dee, H. 2020).

Zabriskie, R. and McCormick, B. (2004) examines the family relationship in

leisure activities and family bonding. Family involvement in leisure and family bonding

improve and balance their relationship with each family member. It helps their family

cohesion and they are able to adapt to changes by participating in shared leisure and

family bonding. According to Zabriskie and McCormack, there is a theoretical

relationship between leisure participation and family leisure functioning, and suggested

that an important research avenue is the examination of the causality and directionality

of the family leisure relationship.

 Diaz et al. (2019) conclude that recreational activity has a positive impact when it

comes to the quality of life, life satisfaction, and involvement in the community and in

the emotional aspect of the individuals. And according to Philippine Board, there are five

family activities that they engage in especially during holiday and among those activities

shopping is most preferred by the family.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents not only a global health crisis but has also

disrupted the daily lives of people around the world. From a leisure perspective, urban

outdoor enthusiasts are one group particularly impacted by the pandemic and the

subsequent institutional response. Stay-at-home orders and physical distancing

recommendations serve as potential inhibitors to outdoor recreation activities central to

the lifestyles and wellbeing of outdoor enthusiasts. In urban areas, where these orders

and recommendations are most restrictive, the potential impacts on recreation behavior

are most consequential (Rice, W. L., et. al. 2020). 

According to Lim, M. A., and Pranata, R. (2020), The coronavirus disease 2019

(COVID-19) pandemic forced the world’s population to alter daily routines, including

exercise habits. This unusual situation has physical, psychological, and behavioral

consequences to all individuals, including elite and recreational athletes. Life in

lockdown has been difficult because everyone has to stay safe and healthy, while at the

same time abiding by new norms.  

The worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) has had profound effects on all aspects

of life: physical health, the ability to travel locally or to more distant destinations,

material and financial resources, and psychosocial wellbeing. It has presented extreme
and unfamiliar challenges to couples, families, and communities, and the individuals

living within these social groupings (Fraenkel, P., and Cho, W. L. 2020). 

Stress is the body's natural response to a perceived threat that may result in

anxiety, discomfort, emotional tension, and difficulty adjusting (Fink,  2016 ).  The

growing interest in stress over the past five decades is attributed to its role in the

etiology of chronic illnesses and mental health disorders. With the COVID-19 pandemic,

fear of infection and transmission, social   isolation   due   to   lockdown   restrictions,  

and   the uncertainty of events have led to stress - related reactions such as  changes

in  concentration,  irritability,  anxiety,  insomnia, reduced productivity, and interpersonal

conflicts (Vinkers et al., 2020).

The psychological burden of the current situation is not only connected with

uncertainty and possibility of disease contraction, but isolation and quarantine too

(Brooks, Webster, Smith, Woodland, Wessely, Greenberg, Rubin, 2020; Liu, 2020). The

development of the emotions, cognitive assessment and behavioral symptoms are

moderated by individual traits (i.e. stress coping styles, personality, underlying

psychiatric conditions), and group processes (i.e. vicarious traumatization, stigma,

perceived risk and resources management) (Strong, 1990; Pappas, Kiriaze, Giannakis,

Falagas, 2009). The unique overlapping influence of nature and nurture could be

observed in individual adjustment to the current situation(Liu, 2020; Moccia, 2020; Tian,

Li, Tian, Yang, Shao, Tian, 2020). According to stress theory and perceived risk theory

the negative emotions and affect cognitive assessment are connected with the

individual’s perceived assets and loss-gain ratio (Biggs, Brough, Drummond, 2017;

Slovic, Peters, 2006; Heszen, Sęk, 2007; Heszen, 2013; Huber, 2010; Crum, Salovey,
Achor, 2013). It is frequently observed that the negative emotions induced by stressful

situations are reported by the subjects as medically unexplained physical symptoms

(Nitsch, Jabłoński, Samochowiec, Kurpisz, 2015). In case of underlying conditions (i.e.

depression and anxiety disorder), the somatization is more profound and disorganized

the person’s existence (Hurwitz, 2004; Kraszewska-Orzechowska, 2007).

Despite overwhelming stress and difficulties as reported in recent studies

(e.g. see Rotas & Cahapay, 2020; Bozkurt et al., 2020; Baticulon et al., 2020),

students still find silver linings out from the challenges they encounter in the practice

of remote learning. Furthermore, in a local study (Baloran, 2020), Filipino students

surveyed used a combination of personal coping strategies during this pandemic. It

includes connecting with friends and family to relieve stress, talking and motivating

oneself, and diverting attention to other things at home to stay away from the stress

caused by COVID-19. Despite the negativities, students still find themselves

surviving in a remote learning set-up through coping mechanisms to manage their

stress.

Due to the pandemic the non-essential businesses including the fitness and

recreation centers were closed, which negatively affected the individuals physical

activity and sedentary behavior. In this study it examines the impact of the pandemic on

the physical activities and sedentary behavior of the university students and employees

before and after the cancellation of the class. They conclude that the university closure

increased sedentary behavior across and it only decreased physical activity of the

individuals who are active before the cancellation of face-to-face classes. Pandemic-
related closure of facilities designed for physical activity may disproportionately impact

active individuals. (Barkley, J.E. et. al.)

As COVID-19 cases rose in the Philippines in March 2020, the government

declared a state of calamity nationwide and implemented the Enhanced Community

Quarantine (ECQ) over Luzon which was most affected. The ECQ imposed measures

that restricted the mobility of citizens and disrupted their usual routines, in addition to

various directives for the public to protect themselves against COVID-19. As the

pandemic and the measures to contain it were all novel, this cross-sectional survey

looked into the Filipinos’ reactions towards the pandemic, their compliance to directives

on how to protect themselves, and their coping mechanisms to maintain physical,

mental, and emotional health during the lockdown. Results showed that Filipinos have a

high level of concern over the pandemic, and expressed fear for their health and that of

others. They also most often adhered to practices protecting them against COVID-19,

and performed activities that maintained their physical, mental, and emotional health

during the lockdown (Bawingan et. al. 2020)

According to  Limon, M. R. (2021), COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the retail

landscape from brick and mortar to online processing of orders and connecting to last

mile logistics providers to address the growing demands of people that are confined in

their homes (Leyco, 2020; Magkilat, 2020). Buying and selling of goods and services via

various modalities online is called e-commerce (EC). Castro (2019) and Magkilat (2020)

claim that by 2022, EC activities are projected to account for half of the country's

economy. During the MGCQ, people who are inclined to cooking are coordinating and
negotiating with motorcycle riders or vehicle owners to deliver orders to intended

destinations and/or meeting recipients at the nearest checkpoints.

Arnado and Bayod (2020) study revealed some coping strategies amid the

pandemic. These are: optimism, strong family relation and engagement to usual

activities. Being an optimist despite pandemic can lead to finding hope one needs to

adapt to this “new normal” time until the virus is cleared out. Moreover, building strong

family relationships can help to cope up whenever one feels alone. You can do leisure

activities with your family such as watching movies. Engagement to usual activities can

greatly reduce mental health difficulties as you alleviate your boredom and do 16 what

you like. One can also develop skills and expand activity scope in order to have vast

choices when they are bored doing the same thing over and over again.  

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic forced governments around the world to

impose lockdowns, home gardening has become a popular initiative among affected

households. In the Philippines, home gardening became a productive activity in a time

of a pandemic lockdown (Montefrio, M.J. 2020). Interest in home gardening has

burgeoned since governments around the world imposed lockdowns to suppress the

spread of SARS-CoV-2. Friends and family who were not interested in home gardening

before started growing herbs and leafy greens in their balconies and backyards.