New Normal vs. Old Normal

After the threat of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), many Filipinos are becoming so inclined with the “new normal.”

As many experts and professionals say, the new normal would be a lot different here in the country. Being a country hospitable, friendly, and almost stress-free, we will see a lot of differences in the months, and even years to come.

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So how different would the new normal be from the old normal? What are the different factors involved? Which one is better between the frightening new normal vs. old normal?

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The old normal is the reason why we need to adjust to the new normal measures that we are experiencing now. If people had been more careful, then we would not be anywhere near our situation now.

In the past, we did not care about face masks; some of us might not even be washing our hands frequently — which should be the standard.

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Technically, the new normal is a lot better than how we were acting and what we were doing before.

New Normal for the Workplace and Public Spaces Act

Back on the 28th of April, 2020, the House of Representatives filed a bill that would impose many differences from new normal vs. old normal and people must abide by it.

Should it be signed into law, new norms of wearing of face masks, as well as physical distancing must be followed at all times.

Under the bill, companies and businesses would be required to submit a plan for the workplace management to their respective Local Government Units (LGUs). These should include:

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Details about the total number of employees that are allowed to work in the office;
Strategy of the management in practicing the new measures; and
Overall reporting of the workforce to the government to minimize the risk of catching and spreading the virus.

UPDATE

To give an update on the House Bill (H.B.) 6623 or the New Normal for the Workplace and Public Spaces Act, it has been approved duly by the sub-panel of the House of Representatives’ Defeat COVID-19 Committee.

Added to the bill are:

Contract-tracing systems;
Mandatory temperature checks in various establishments;
Government-operated quarantine facilities; and
Other measures in monitoring the health of individuals

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Therefore, it is clear to say that the bill looks to train people for the “new normal.” Furthermore, it’s also one way of letting people know how the rest of the country would be in terms of previous activities we do.

How would the new normal look?

Based on the different types and forms of quarantine we went under, it’s quite clear how the new normal would look. From what we are experiencing now, it’s going to be a whole lot different from how we were living back then.

In Transportation

As a matter of fact, Martin Delgra, Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair said that this transition is a good opportunity to improve and to rationalize how the public transportation is in our country.

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By a controlled way of putting together public transportation; they would be able to provide the transport needed by daily commuters.

Moreover, this can also be the answer to the traffic problem that we have. With fewer public utility vehicles (PUVs), fewer cars on the road, there’ll be less and lighter traffic.

Adapting to Biking

Many of the experts concur that the best thing to note with the new normal vs. old normal is the fact that there will be a lot of biking to happen. Riding bicycles, as a matter of fact, is a healthy and a good alternative to commuting.

Therefore, many people would choose to ride their bicycles instead of commuting; or instead of using their cars because it’s safer and it’s a lot more convenient.

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In Mass Gatherings

When it comes to mass gatherings, social distancing would be involved. No statements about not having mass gatherings yet have been out but technically speaking, it should not be allowed.

Should it be allowed by the government, social distancing must be observed in all cases.

A lot of things will be affected from the ratio of students to classrooms, birthday parties, restaurants, and even church.

Advanced Technologies

This brings us to the fact that as a country, we need to adapt to better and more advanced technologies not only for survival, but for us to be able to learn better from what we could have done in the past.

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In Leisure and Entertainment

Eating out, under the new normal scheme, might not be possible. In fact, House Bill 6623 only allows delivery and take-out — however, the dine-ins would be gradually allowed should the virus be contained successfully.

In addition to that, movie theaters, cinemas, going on parks and vacations; as well as other types of leisure that would have close-contact will still not be allowed under the new normal. The change might be gradual, but overall, it’s a no-no especially to keep the health of everyone at bay.

Those are only some of the things that people need to adapt to under the new normal; for you not to have a hard time understanding and comprehending the new normal vs. old normal, here’s a simple table for it.

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New Normal vs. Old Normal Activities People Should Know About
Category	Old Normal	New and Better Normal
Transportation (Public Commuting)	Almost all public transport vehicles are full; no social distancing is observed.	More vehicles because fewer people are going to be allowed to get in vehicles; shall observe social distancing in every vehicle.
Leisure and Entertainment	Eating out is allowed and done by people; No social distancing observed in almost all activities; Close-contact activities are done; And so on	All activities that have close- contact will not be allowed. The use of face masks would also be a requirement. Dine-Ins would gradually be allowed in restaurants, fast food chains, food stalls, etc. Food stations and places would only allow take-outs and deliveries.
Sports/Outdoor Activities	All types of sports are allowed — either close-contact or not without any restrictions.Even if some players/athletes have been reported to be sick, the games went on.	Under the new normal, sports with close-contact would not possibly be resumed; All independent outdoor activities would be allowed, given that every factor is followed; There’ll be no room for the adjustment of people based on what they feel — close-contact sports will be postponed until further notice.
School and Education	Regular process of enrollment and classes; Classrooms are filled with more than 30 to 40 children	Under the new normal, face-to-face classes would not be allowed until a vaccine is ready; Distance-learning would be the key
Hygiene and Personal Care	Before, people did not wash their hands frequently. Everyone has no fear of whatever type of virus. Face masks weren’t even a thing. We threw, destroyed, and even trashed N95 masks. The bringing of alcohol was not a huge thing; not everyone had it.	The value of handwashing has never been so important; Now, we are in dire need of face masks, wherever we go, it’s required; We need to have alcohol ready with us all the time; Touching unnecessary things while outside is also a bad thing to do.

So in the battle between the new normal vs. old normal, which one do you prefer? Do you think the new normal is better for everyone especially those that are yearning for the improvement of our country?

These are just the clear signs that we are to do after the effectivity of the quarantine. It is important for everyone to know about it. What do you think about the new or the “better” normal as how they call it? Do you think it’s going to be better for everyone?

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Better Normal?

With the infamous battler of the new normal vs. old normal — what do you think is better? Is the new normal depriving people from what they need and what they have been used to? Or is this just a product of the sense of “freedom” Filipinos have?

If other countries can do it — why do many people resist it? Is it because of the habits we have formed? Is it due to the fact that we weren’t able to learn and adjust to how other countries did it?

The main goal of the new normal is to keep everyone safe. Never did it have a goal to make all of our lives miserable; it’s a plan that has been designed and provided by the government for the safety of the people — so we should, therefore, abide by it.

Let us all hope and pray for the best for our country — as well as the whole world. Under the new normal, following it can definitely keep us safe and sound; you will never have to worry about it. Share this relevant piece of information with your friends and family in order for them to be aware of what it’s like under the new circumstances.

New Normal vs. Old Normal