The situation in the Philippines with the lockdown and pandemic seem to be getting worse. I have not been paying to much to the pandemic updates recently since the original lockdown which was very strict was stopped. We now have a community lockdown which is more lenient but it kinda feels like the current lockdown is stricter than the original one or maybe people are taking it upon themselves to over do things. I did not have my mask for a few seconds because i was carrying many items and i just got out from the store and a bunch of bike men surrounded me and decided to take on some sort of arrest to a barangay office, after creating a small commotion on the street and taking pictures of me. The policy now in Manila is to pay a fine of 1000 pesos on your first offence of not wearing a mark or be kept in isolation for 6 hours. It feels more like an arrest though because i had my mask with me but i was not opportuned to wear it at the time. When i arrived at the barangay office, the barangay boss was there and he told me to discuss with his secretary to make my payment. I tried to explain the situation to the secretary but i realized that it wasn't leading anywhere and suddenly the boss is no longer there. They just turn you in cycles wanting your to pay their 1000 pesos. They have a basket ball court where people who have not paid are kept and there are many of them. I wonder if some of them there have their second offence because for a second offence you will be held for 12 hours or required to pay 2000 pesos. I did not complete the 6 hours though. I kept explaining myself until they got a feeling that i will stay adamant. Then they let me go after making me write a promise that if i am caught again i will pay the fine. I spend like 1 hour with them going in cycles.
When i got home, i decided to look at the internet for Covid updates and it shocked me. When i thinking covid is almost gone the statistics is surprising. Many of the countries that where bottom of the list are suddenly very high in their number of cases.