We Asked Filipinos What They Learned in 2021

The Philippines had one of the longest lockdowns in the world. Movement restrictions, curfews, and liquor bans meant there was little to do to take the edge off, so Filipinos had to get creative about how they spent their time. For some, it was taking up a new hobby; for others, it was big lifestyle changes like leaving the city for the idyllic beach life. 

Meanwhile, the world didn’t stop turning. Some people lost their jobs, broke off relationships, or even went through huge life milestones, like starting a family. Going through all of that amidst a pandemic, where people even missed the long drawl of commuting, posed an added challenge. So many coped in their own ways.

As the year winds to an end, COVID-19 cases go down, and restrictions loosen, VICE took a look back at the year that was and asked Filipinos what they learned from 2021. Here’s what they said. 

Jao Sauco taught climbing at a school in Manila while his partner KQ Quiray was a yoga instructor. Their jobs were affected by the pandemic. 

We started a business because someone offered us a business. One of my close friends and former yoga mentor was an importer of food products. They catered to hotels and restaurants, and they had zero sales, so they asked us if we could offer our products to retail. We started selling cold cuts and cheese to selected friends and connections, and that’s how our business, Hungry Cow, started. – KQ

We didn’t expect it would get so big. What I took away from that is to get out of your comfort zone. [For example], if you’re comfortable with teaching and you forget about it for a while, you realize you’ll be able to think of a lot more things. KQ and I, we’re not business-minded, we have zero knowledge [in that area]. But after two years, we learned to get out of our comfort zones and try other things. And with hard work and a little luck, the rest will follow. – Jao

Fresh from a breakup, Tanya Mariano is considering whether she should stay in La Union or go back to Manila. 

In November 2020, I moved to La Union from Manila with my boyfriend of two-ish years. In November 2021, I left him. All of a sudden, I had to think about whether or not I wanted to live here by myself. But I think I’ll stay. The past year taught me to trust my gut more. I should’ve paid more attention to the nagging doubts I had about the relationship. Now that I’m in the middle of deciding where I want to live, I think I’ll listen to that small voice that’s telling me to stick around here for now. – Tanya

Tokwa Peñaflorida was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and continues to be an advocate for mental health. 

Life in 2021, for me, is like being constantly reminded of mortality. That made me realize how important where and with whom I spent my energy. I learned to honor my rest more. I felt like I was always rushing myself pre-pandemic. I also took the time to rest to be in tune with myself and my needs, and stopped feeling so guilty for acknowledging that I do need rest. I was so active in my work and my advocacies before the pandemic, that I felt like I was spreading myself too thin. I can get very passionate, so much so that it made me feel drained most of the time. Now, I know that to be more active, I also need to recharge. – Tokwa

Rianna Gatus shuttered her 10-year-old business, Beyond Yoga, in October.

When my studio closed down, it was such a big thing for me. I didn’t do anything else except Beyond Yoga, while my other partners had other business endeavors. When you commit yourself to something for a decade, you really grow up in that business, so I couldn’t help but feel like I lost a big chunk of what I was about. There was also this fear of not knowing what I was going to do on my own. As cheesy as it sounds, I did my best to look at the brighter side—we really did have a good run. The biggest thing that I’ve learned from all this is to know how to keep reinventing myself. As a yoga teacher, I’m doing my best to continuously educate myself and find ways to up the value of what I offer, so that it can stand alone, beyond Beyond Yoga. – Rianna

Jhonny Paul Hui-Lagura, or Pau, took this time to reconnect with nature to improve his mental health.

Throughout the quarantine, I got so depressed because I had five projects that were supposed to be implemented in 2020 and 2021, but because of the lockdowns, the budget allocations for those projects were realigned. I was depressed but I realized that staying inside my house wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I decided to implement one of these projects about sustainable tourism for free. I managed to get my salary back, and best of all, integrate with nature. I went to the province, to the mountains, and talked to the locals. It was a blessing in disguise. I never thought that progressing on the project would help get me back up after months of depression. Fulfillment isn’t just about development and monetary returns, it’s also about personal journeys and passions. – Pau

Like many Filipinos, Dale Villaceran took up cycling as a new hobby this year.  

I’ve pretty much adjusted to the pandemic by now. It was just mainly working from home and doing the same things. It was a little repetitive, so later in the year, I picked up a new hobby, which was cycling. My dad has been cycling since I was young, so I think it came from him. He came home from Qatar this year and he was toting this road bike around. I told him I wanted one as well, and it became part of our dad-daughter bonding. A lot of people my age have told me that they don’t know how to bike, so I guess what I learned is that it’s never too late to learn. – Dale

Katrina Balmaceda unexpectedly became a mother of two during the pandemic.  

Before the pandemic, I’d always get cabin fever, and couldn’t stand just being at home for two or three days straight. I’ve since learned to enjoy being at home, even on weekends, especially now that I have two kids. But I also learned that it’s important to protect your personal time, especially when you’re working from home and you’re with the kids 24/7. I’ve found routines to be helpful, so ideally, everyone in the house, including your kids, know that at a certain time each day, you’ll be having time to yourself. Making it part of your routine also reduces the mom guilt. Much easier said than done. – Katrina

Gabriela Faye Echevarria got engaged and moved in with her boyfriend in 2021. 

Because of the pandemic, I learned to have a lot of introspection. I also learned to slow down a bit. I worked at an office and I didn’t stop working until 6 p.m., sometimes even beyond that, but because of the pandemic, we were able to bring our work home and online, which helped me relax and slow down. The pandemic also helped me realize which relationships matter to me. When you’re isolating, you don’t get to see people and you get to think of the people you miss or want to reach out to. I realized how important some relationships are, as well as what I really want in life and what matters to me. – Gabriela

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. 

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