Celebrity mom and vlogger Rica Peralejo, along with her family, spent a few days of vacation in Boracay recently. The getaway led her to open up on her thoughts about the conflicting issues of the pandemic and livelihood.
“[This] is by no means an exhaustive account and a defined position when it comes to the conflicting decisions we need to make during a pandemic,” she stated on her Instagram page yesterday, Aug. 15. “I am not saying we should travel, despite and in spite of the virus at large, but neither am I fully convinced that we should not support places where tourism is their main thing.”
During her brief stay in Boracay, Peralejo saw that “even bad things can bring about good change.” She noted that since the island’s closures and re-openings, it has been forced to revisit its true meaning, purpose and identity.
“The pandemic has also made them reflect and act on the reality that they cannot depend on easy money all the time,” she observed.
Peralejo explored the island further, as seen in her latest YouTube vlog which premiered yesterday as well.
She spoke with locals who noted that hotels, restaurants and the transportation sectors in the island suffered during the closures amid the pandemic, but they remain optimistic and look forward to full recovery.
“[My] heart continues to bleed for the problems of our nation. Our people die both from the virus AND hunger. There is no crystal clear solution in sight, nevertheless it’s a reality we need to face,” Peralejo said in Instagram. “We treasure both health AND livelihood, and when they are at odds with each other, I hope we remember that it is the poor who suffer most.” JB
RELATED STORIES:
Business owners seek separate quarantine review for Boracay
Boracay arrivals plummet as bars are shut down