Tap / click on above image for details.  Or download from this link.

Travel can serve as both recreation and education.  When traveling, our horizons are broadened, our perspectives become more balanced and inspired.  Tourism is a positive aspect of travel in that it aims to show the best parts of a destination to visitors.  The country visited might not be completely perfect, but a good destination would have places that are pleasant, peaceful and healthy for people to visit.

There are advantages both in group travel and in solo or single-family travel.  For Filman arranged combined group travel, there is both convenience, savings, scheduling and efficiency in traveling in buses with a tour guide as well as having sumptuous meals laid out for you.  This experience is continually being improved and updated to give passengers a smooth, pleasant and memorable experience.   Traveling solo or in a single-family gives flexibility and time to explore.  You can also have a combination of both, traveling solo/single-family and then joining a big group in some part of your journey.

Currently, during the pandemic, it is not advisable to travel.  Thus we are not posting any new travel products.  Still it is nice to be able to reminisce about past journeys and hope that perhaps in the future we can once again visit the lands of our neighbors, both local and global, experience their hospitality and avail of their products and services.
  

Photos taken in SM Mall of Asia (MOA) during a supply run to Ace Hardware.  Pancake House in MOA is gone.  But the one at Aseana Square nearby is still open as of this post.

An observation:
The Positive Aspect

• More sustainable living
  • Less need to buy new clothes. Able to wear old clothes. Really old going-out / office clothes can be used as home-wear, with a few alterations to make them more comfortable, if needed. Really old or torn clothes can be used as rags.  Less pollution discharge and water consumed from the manufacture of fast-fashion clothing, less second-hand clothes with nowhere to go. 
  • Less use of transportation. Less traffic jams in the streets. Less pollution from vehicles.  Roads that will last longer, less need for government to spend to repair them.  But please do repair worn down frequently used roads or  hazardous holes.
• Fee-less transfer of funds in financial institutions
• Less stressful, more relaxed lifestyle for people who stay at home.
• More time to pray and read the Bible
• Work-from-home arrangements and technologies
• More time to plant or take care of gardens
• More time to optimize our lives
• More importance placed on agriculture, preserving/regenerating forests and seas.

The Worrying Aspect

• Industries with less demand. There is still a positive aspect to this, as people who might not be able to go to work at this time are not forced to.
• People not having jobs and income.
• More disposable non-recyclable trash from personal protective equipment and deliveries

What can be done

• Why worry when we can pray to God? Need more info? You can check out an external website: https://godlife.com/
• Industries can take the time to plan for the future, whether to go in another direction, optimize their operations, share and discuss their valuable knowledge, experience and expertise or other worthwhile endeavors. Other crucial industries and companies that are very much operating even during the time of the pandemic, can keep doing their job well and monitor the systems well to avoid downtime, all while taking steps to avoid catching the Covid19-20 ‘bug’.
  
• We can build on the Positive Aspects in the first part of this post such that we are following sustainable best practices even when the threat of a pandemic is overcome.
• People can still take the time to study the Bible and get guidance and valuable treasure from the writings. Aside from that, we can study and appreciate an endless choice of knowledge, information and art from books, radio, television and online.  We can also take the time to research several credible sources to make sure we are receiving truthful information.
• The best we can currently do with non-reusable, non-recyclable trash right now is to compact them and landfill them properly.  They were mined and pumped out from the ground after all.  But care is needed that they do not pollute drinking water and are not ingested by animals that would become endangered/extinct or would in turn be consumed by humans.   Still if humans could find a use for stuff dug or extracted from the ground, humans of the future could probably find a use for all the stuff in landfills.  In the meantime, something useful could be  made from the used up landfill mounds , how about recreation or energy generating hills?  And then here's why we can't just throw our trash in lava lakes.
• We can take the time to figure out how we can work together so that everyone has their basic needs met, how we can be more resilient for the future.
• We can take the time to prioritize what is really important in our life.
• It is also important for communities, farms and companies to be able to preserve excess food for distribution or storage instead of throwing them away. And doing so such that the final product is still a healthy product. Of course, most things in excess woud be bad, so consumers need to avoid consuming large quantities of one product, but instead choose a variety of food, even better if mostly plant-based.
• This too shall pass

In our new normal after the COVID-19 quarantines, here's a proposed layout that we have drawn up for jeepneys, a popular public transport in the Philippines.  (see image below)

Additional upgrade would be to use electronic payment systems (which are out of the scope of this simple post).  If electronic fare collection is used, the space for the fare boxes can be used for other things, like a place for safety seatbelts and airbags.

Known limitations would be that

• this would be more useful for jeepney stops that enable passengers to enter and exit the jeep from either side.  (Jeepney stops with islands on the driver side.)  Or else the passenger would have to be extra careful when getting off the driver side so they wont be hit by other vehicles. 
  
• This also means that the driver needs to stop the vehicle very near the sidewalk for the safety of those alighting from the driver's side. 
  
• Also the driver would have to figure out a way to check if there is someone getting on or getting off (through rearview mirrors or cameras). 
  
• And the side door designs would need to take into consideration how passengers would open them
  

Known advantage of this layout: the passengers would be able to see the outside better than current layout and call for a stop.  They could use a bell or a buzzer to signal for stops.   All the internal partitions would be transparent so that driver can see. 

This can also be implemented in buses.

In the mood to be immersed in culture and look at some museum art and artifacts?  Try: Google Arts and Culture Museum Collections.

Also the  parent site has different articles and media for you to check out:

Different historical events and corresponding photos can be read about and looked at.

How To Work From Home Even If You Don't Have Work

So what would a person do if (s)he is in an industry shutdown by the COVID-19 lockdown and there is no work to do in the industry?

TLDR:  Find things to do.  Get ready for the future.

1. Get ready for the future.
   • Webinars.  Loads available
   • Listen to Biblical messages.
   • Online courses
   • Think of future products and services for one’s current company
   • Think of how to deliver the products and services
   • Convey these ideas to one’s superior or the owner.
   • Exercise and train.
2. Find things to do:
   1. Fix up the house
      1. Unclog drains and gutters
      2. Fix faucet leaks
   2. Organize the house
      1. Organize wiring
      2. Put unused items in storage
      3. Organize desk(s)
   3. Clean the house
   4. Vacuum the inside of one’s computer.   Or the vents on the laptop
   5. Cook delicious healthy meals
   6. Start and work on that project one has been planning to do.  E.g.: like a rain-collection system, trash sorting system, put up posters or art on walls
   7. For those with vehicles:
      1. For those with skills, tools and oil, change the oil in one’s car
      2. Charge your car battery with a charger
      3. Make sure tire air pressure is enough
   8. Inventory and all of one’s belongings and make the most of them
   9. Call someone and talk about beneficial things
   10. Read a good book.  Lots of free ebooks available online.  One just has to choose the good ones.
   11. Pray
   12. Educate one’s kids on the sure, long-term things.
   13. Take care of some plants, do some gardening.
       
   14. Fix broken things, like that electric fan.
       
   15. Cut someone's hair (if they want someone to do so)
       

One of the reasons why we’re uncomfortable with the present situation is we want to have enough resources (cash comes first to mind) for our future.  Money is a tool and a pretty good one at that.  Still it is written that we can’t put our trust in it, because it is here today and gone tomorrow.  Also that we can’t chase money for it will be a path of many pains.  Plus depreciation and inflation.  The question we ask ourselves then is what else can we do aside from thinking about money?  Some of the answers can be found in 1 Timothy 6:6-19 in the Christian Holy Bible.

Current Situation: Covid-19

Even at this time, we hope for smooth, maybe more laid back daily itineraries for you, our Filman Travel customers and friends.

A Typical WeekDay (BLD - Breakfast Lunch and Dinner Meals)
Home Sweet Home
Morning:
As you wake up to another blessed day, take time to have a slight smile and breathe and be thankful. Say/whisper a short prayer. Go to the window, the doorway or the yard for some sun and stretching. After which we would go for our breakfast, of which you and/or a housemate can prepare one that is simple and healthy, or a sumptuous one that could fill you up until it's time for lunch.

After our meal we can start and do some work or chores if you need to do any. For our retired or vacationing friends, we can read a book, choose a really good show/movie/documentary on streaming or cable, or watch the news over the air. Listen to the radio. There are so many stations to be listened too, all delivered at once to our listening device with no installation or subscription fees. We can appreciate that FM/AM radio's been here a while, but it is still a modern technological marvel. Take breaks to get a drink of liquids. Choice of cold or warm water, warm tea, iced honey calamansi tea, local juice (pineapple, mango, starfruit, balimbing, strawberry, etc). Optional soda package available, included if you bought some from the store/supermarket. As it is the summer time, you might want to make your own banana split dessert. Banana and ice cream do go well together.

We will have our healthy lunch at the dining table area, option of being surrounded by family, friends, housemates. Or peruse a cookbook if you're alone.

Afternoon:
After a short rest or nap after the meal, take the time to practice your musical instrument if you have one. If not, then your singing voice. Enjoy learning to sing a group song with your housemates or sing solo with your operatic voice. If you're singing solo in the shower, make sure to maximize the audio enhancing qualities of the bathroom. Then back to any work or chores, if any. Or sit back and think of past blessings and beneficial interactions, and hope for wisdom and guidance for the future.

Evening, sit around the dining table for a filling and nutritious dinner with family, housemates, friends or with your spouse. Unless you need to self quarantine, upon which you would have the luxury of your own room/area (single supplement applies.) After dinner you can work on some puzzles, color in some colouring books, do some knitting, play card or board games (without touching your face and remembering to wash your hands after), tell jokes, or just rock on the rocking chair and listen to podcasts with or without headphones.

Night time: Get to bed on time to get enough sleep and be prepared for the next day of our lives, in the midst of a historic time. Be ready to be part of history once again tomorrow.

Get these rare promo rates for the following hotels in the Philippines:

Tour package, includes airfare.  See flyer below for details.

extended until February 24, 2020.

(see flyer below)

extended until February 24, 2020.

Norwegian Cruise Lines cruise aboard the Norwegian Dawn.

extended until February 24, 2020.

Dear clients,

Filman Travel advises against any unnecessary travel, especially to affected areas of the 2019 Coronavirus outbreak.  We value the safety and health of our customers and  as such have kept from posting new travel products for the upcoming months.

We will post new destination products for the later part of the year soon.