Already, experts are saying that telecommuting is here to stay. 鈥淣obody in the future is going to take a job where they are measured by whether or not they show up at a certain time at the office and then check out again at 5:30 or 6 p.m.,鈥� said Lars Wittig, country manager of IWG Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia, during the Asia Future-of-Work Forum 2020 held on June 25.

Investors, too, are basing their investment decisions 鈥渙n how considerate companies are to their employees and clients during the coronavirus pandemic,鈥� and favoring companies that allow employees to work from home.

But what does working from home look like? This photo essay is a glimpse into the increasingly necessary WFH culture. Subjects were requested to complete the statement: 鈥淭he most important part of my home-office setup is _______, because _______.鈥�

Risa Barcelona, Creative, MAD Market

The most important part of my home-office setup is my laptop because it has my whole life in it (it is literally my work鈥檚 bloodline, lol), and Eggs because he can easily de-stress me, no effort!

Frances Barsana, Business Development Manager, Kickstart Ventures

The most important part of my home-office setup is the designated space because it allows me to focus my energy during working hours and differentiate when I am needed to attend to home matters.

Pia Bernal, Community Manager, Kickstart Ventures

The most important part of my home-office setup is my second and larger screen because it helps you to multitask and work faster: the ability to open multiple tabs! You especially feel the benefit of a dual monitor setup when composing an email and you need to view other emails in your inbox as reference.

Christian San Jose, Founder and CEO, 8020

The most important part of my home-office setup is my chair (and its footrest), because that鈥檚 where I spend most of my time. The chair has to be right in the middle of comfort and sturdiness: It can鈥檛 be too comfortable as I don鈥檛 want to fall asleep while working.

Sally Ponce-Enrile, Chairperson, JoJoCare

The most important part of my home setup is its location. It is up in my attic adjacent to my indoor garden/art studio. I get both the privacy I need as well as a relaxing ambience so I can focus on my work without anyone distracting me. I call it my 鈥渉appy place.鈥�

Dorelene Dimaunahan, founder of DMD3D Enterprises and CAD Concepts and faculty member of DLSU, ADMU, UA&P, and CCA

The most important parts of my home-office setup are my piano nook and my green screen room. My piano nook is where my creativity works best. In the middle of a long day at work, I find time to play a piece or two, just to break the ice. As for the green screen room, this is where I usually stay when I need more concentration or where I do my hosting and writing projects.

Victor Jeffery, Editor of Enrich magazine and CEO of Skittles-Brooke Media

The most important part of my home-office setup is creating the right environment to work in 鈥� that gives me the freedom of working in a relaxed atmosphere, and at the same time, allows me to adhere to my professional office style way of operating, because otherwise, I know that my normally strong focus could become too easily distracted.

Melissa Profeta, Brand Strategist, Digital Dynasty

The most important part of my home-office setup is I being able to easily get whatever I need right away. If I need a hug for a quick break, I can easily walk up to my baby鈥檚 crib before going back to work. If I need major references for work, I can just pick out my go-to book from my mini-library.

Emily Brown, Executive, Telum Media

The most important part of my home-office setup is my charger station, as I鈥檓 always on the phone and my laptop. I鈥檝e got to be contactable at all times. Also, snacks to distract my cat whenever she bites my screen and charger!

Related story: See how people in the Philippines are working from home in 大象传媒鈥檚 鈥榃FH During ECQ鈥� series.

“I left a bit early a day before the ECQ,” FRS Construction Corp. managing director Cheryl V. Feliciano wrote in an e-mail to 大象传媒. “We also sent the staff home a little bit earlier than usual.”

All their construction projects 鈥� the majority of which are DMCI projects 鈥� in Metro Manila have stopped, while their provincial projects continued but only until the end of March when quarantine was gradually imposed in the provinces.

As the lockdown passed its 70-day mark and restrictions have been modified in some areas nationwide, she continues to work from home and begins her day at 9 a.m.

What is your preferred meeting method and why?
We don’t do video meetings as I only need to talk to our president (my dad) or specific staff individually. Viber and e-mail is what we normally use to send documents and get approvals.

Where is your home office?
I have a small room which has always been my office room at home even before the ECQ.

Do you take breaks?
I read the news; help with my daughter’s school work (because her school year ended on April 30); do some crafts; meditate; and pray.

What difficulties or challenges did you experience? Any distractions?
Wi-Fi connection has been excellent so I didn’t have any problems with that. It was mostly the added process of e-mailing back and forth since we’re not physically at the office.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from working from home?
Make sure all physical files/data have an electronic version and are updated regularly. 鈥� Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Despite that, people try to replicate most of their usual activities from home. They work from home, hold Zoom catch-up sessions with friends and family, and attend digitally streamed worship services.

Attending church is a highly social activity, a weekly mass gathering attended by hundreds of people: something quarantine measures strictly prohibit and probably won鈥檛 allow for the foreseeable future. How do churches cope?

Favor Church, a Mandaluyong-based Christian congregation led by Senior Pastors James and Kate Aiton, is one of many churches that turned to digital platforms while Metro Manila is under strict quarantine. Mr. Aiton told 大象传媒 via e-mail how his congregation gathers during these unique times.

Replies have been lightly edited.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR YOU TO ADJUST TO THE CHURCH-FROM-HOME FORMAT? DID YOU HAVE TO SUSPEND ACTIVITIES LIKE THE SUNDAY SERVICE WHEN THE ECQ (ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE) STARTED, OR WERE YOU ABLE TO MOVE IT ONLINE IMMEDIATELY?
The announcement of ECQ happened on a Thursday night, so we had 48 hours to change our physical service into an online videoed service, and then full ECQ happened the day after, giving us 12 hours to get everything we needed out of our church venue (located in a mall) before it was shut down. That was a pretty hectic weekend!

The flexibility of our team was amazing, and they were able to make it happen so quickly, and every week since we have been working on different things, trying to improve the experience for those watching, and the workflow for us.

HOW ARE YOU DOING CHURCH ACTIVITIES NOW? HAS THE WORK-FROM-HOME FORMAT AFFECTED YOUR LINEUP OF ACTIVITIES?
In our church, our two main focuses are the Services and midweek Connect groups (small groups of people that get together for social connection and Bible studies). Obviously both of these things, and most things we do, are centered around meeting with people, so the change has been moving all these meetings online.

We鈥檝e had great success in transferring nearly all our activities online, but are really missing that person to person contact!

We have been able to film our services with a skeleton team in a make-shift studio, and all other meetings have been done from homes.

WHAT WAS A NORMAL WEEK LIKE FOR YOU BEFORE THE ECQ, AND HOW DID IT CHANGE?
My week consisted of meetings with my staff, spending time preparing for sermons and catching up with leaders and members of our church.

I鈥檓 a highly relational leader, and so I have really missed being in person with people. I鈥檝e been able to easily shift all these meetings online, but having three kids under the age of six has made it a little more difficult to have meetings at home. There is an increased usage in the 鈥渕ute鈥� button on video chats!

HOW DO YOU GATHER PEOPLE ONLINE — BOTH CHURCH WORKERS AND ATTENDEES?
Our strategy is based on whether the event is an internal one (just aimed at the people within our church) or an external one (aimed at everyone online).

Internally, we have communication channels set up through Facebook groups, messenger groups and via e-mail to promote what meetings are coming up. Most of these internal meetings are done over Zoom (sometimes up to 400 people) or Google Meet.

For external meetings, we rely heavily on social media, through our own promotion on Instagram and Facebook, and our church family sharing those posts.

We use different social media platforms to broadcast our meetings externally.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED PLATFORM FOR HOLDING WORSHIP SERVICES ONLINE? WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE TO RECORD YOUR PROGRAMS?
During the ECQ, we have been on quite the journey with this. At the moment we are broadcasting (through a restreaming service online) to multiple platforms — Kumu, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Periscope — and recently have partnered with ABS-CBN to be shown on itsr Sports and Action Channel, Sky Cable, and .

It looks like mass gatherings will be prohibited for the foreseeable future, so we are in the middle of trying to transition people to a new platform that is actually run on our webpage. This gives us greater control (not relying on streaming sites鈥� back end) to connect with people. We highly value connection with people, and don鈥檛 believe church is just about attending a service, but actually doing life with people. This new platform will give us greater flexibility in being able to pray for people, and connect with them, right on the page! It also has an auto translation tool for those typing in the chat in different languages!

For our services, we have a three-camera production set up, and have a team that captures and edits our service. For everything else, we are just using laptops and phones! Trying to be as resourceful as possible.

HAS THE QUARANTINE SPARKED NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR CHURCH TO EXPAND? HOW?
It鈥檚 been huge for our church. We were not streaming services before this, so it forced us to go online. Within the first month, our reach on Facebook alone exploded to about 3 million people.

Viewing of our services has increased dramatically from when we were meeting in our venue. We also have had to start new international connect groups for people that are now tuning in from overseas.

The ECQ has been horrible on so many levels, but the silver lining for our church is the fact we鈥檝e been able to get into people鈥檚 homes through their TVs and devices, people that never would have stepped foot in our venue. It鈥檚 very humbling.

Also, we have established our Favor Church Community Care, which have been feeding between 500-3,000 families a week all over Metro Manila. Families that otherwise would not have had access to food. This has been made possible by the generosity of our church family that have given financially towards it.

WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT BEING UNDER QUARANTINE?
I miss people, giving them hugs and laughing and eating with them in person. I love people, and the fact that social distancing is going to be a real thing for the future, it breaks my heart that I won鈥檛 be able to get back to that for some time. — Denise A. Valdez

The chocolates of Christian Valdes aren鈥檛 of dubious crisis quality. Mr. Valdes is behind CMV Txokolat, a brand dedicated to creating luxury chocolate pralines with a mix of the cosmopolitan and the local. The pralines can be filled with salt and pepper caramel, kaffir lime and coconut, minted calamansi, or even gumamela (hibiscus).

With a commissary located at his home, we talked to Mr. Valdes about continuing to create a sweet life under lockdown, despite the hardships of a pandemic. Perhaps it鈥檚 hard to imagine why little luxuries like chocolate are still present during a crisis. We like to think of them as small mercies.

OF ALL THE THINGS TO BE AN EXPERT IN, WHY CHOCOLATE?
To be completely honest, I wasn鈥檛 expecting to take up chocolate as a hobby; let alone as a profession. I鈥檝e always had an interest in chocolates. I鈥檇 say that interest was inspired by my grandmother, who when it came to food, could do it all and do it exceptionally well! It wasn鈥檛 until one of my friends who was interning at the Mandarin Oriental showed me how to make chocolates. That鈥檚 when my interest really took off, and fast became a hobby gone passion and profession. I mean, the things you can do to chocolate go beyond just things you can eat. It鈥檚 something you can sculpt and design. Chocolate is extremely versatile and the uses are infinite.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORKSPACE AT HOME? HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE ONE YOU LEFT BEHIND BEFORE QUARANTINE?
My workspace is at home and not much has changed.

HOW HAS THE QUARANTINE CHANGED YOUR WORK ROUTINE?
Quarantine hasn鈥檛 changed our work routine too much. In terms of staffing, we鈥檙e working with a skeleton crew. We want to ensure the safety of our employees and also ensure that there is no cross-contamination. As for production, we have created stocks in order to cope with demand based on our historical data, so that we can also alleviate the added pressure on less staff.

My team consists of five marketing staff, one CPA, one person in business development. Our production team consists of three chocolatiers, but to ensure the safety of our employees and to prevent cross-contamination we have one chocolatier working on production. Our marketing, CPA and business development people do not need to visit the office; we have them all working from home.

DESPITE THE QUARANTINE FEELING LIKE A VERY LONG BREAK 鈥� DO YOU STILL TAKE BREAKS FROM WORK?
This quarantine definitely feels like a large break melded together, or like grade school during the summer! Yes, I do take breaks on the weekend, we all need time to rest up and recharge our batteries, but it鈥檚 easy to lose track of time at my job because it鈥檚 something that I love to do. I mean I get out of bed excited to start working!

DO YOU STILL DRESS UP FOR WORK?
Yes, I still dress up for work. It鈥檚 integral to be in uniform as it helps maintain our safety standards and helps us maintain that normalcy.

HOW DO YOU STILL MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE, WHEN WE DO EVERYTHING AT HOME NOW?
I would have to say it鈥檚 quite easy to maintain a work-life balance. I have my schedule of things I need to accomplish, or production that needs to be completed, along with various other things that need to be done on any given day. Knowing this, I know how much time I need to get these things done before I can relax and let home life kick in.

HOW HAS THE QUARANTINE AFFECTED YOUR SOURCING FOR INGREDIENTS, AS WELL AS SENDING ORDERS OUT?
Yes, we鈥檙e continuing to take orders, and of course, it鈥檚 made sourcing a bit difficult during these times. It鈥檚 not so much getting the supplies necessary to fulfill orders but the logistics involved. I have my suppliers that I鈥檝e worked with for a long time. Because we are in the food industry, we鈥檙e considered 鈥渆ssentials,鈥� so despite the ECQ, we are business as usual.

CHOCOLATE ISN鈥橳 ALWAYS REGARDED AS AN ESSENTIAL, AND IT鈥橲 STILL CONSIDERED A LUXURY, ALBEIT A SMALL ONE. JUDGING FROM YOUR CONTINUED WORK, WHAT鈥橲 THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL LUXURIES (LIKE CHOCOLATE) DURING TRYING TIMES LIKE THESE?
I think chocolate is really essential during these times. Chocolate in general contains tryptophan which is linked to the production of serotonin. These chemicals make us feel happy, loved, and just good, all in all. Each bite of chocolate despite our confinement is like a reward. These simple joys are necessary to keep us happy during these times of confinement.

LIVE streaming company Kumu Holdings has been responding to a surge in demand for entertainment and online community spaces since the start of the enhanced community quarantine.

A busy work-from-home (WFH) schedule means work sometimes seeps into personal time. To keep up with the demands of running a start-up, Kumu co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Roland Ros said he created a home-based 鈥渃ommute.鈥� In an online interview on May 7, he also talked about how he helps maintain workplace morale for a team that found itself working at a distance.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

WHAT IS YOUR WORK FROM HOME SET UP?
Prior to COVID-19, we were sharing an office with Summit Media in Pioneer, Mandaluyong. I鈥檓 in Makati. I鈥檝e had to really mentally say, okay, I鈥檓 in my bed 鈥� I鈥檓 in Makati, my desk is Mandaluyong, and my living room is Ortigas. I鈥檝e turned my condo [into districts so moving through the rooms] is like commuting, just to get out of that headspace of trying to do everything in my bed because that鈥檚 not good. I鈥檝e just really been able to create a space for my desk 鈥� and really use the table in my kitchen and use the table in my living room to break out. Because of that I can鈥檛 really start my day until I do my morning ritual鈥� so that when I walk to my desk it feels like that was my commute. And it helps with my headspace.

When the quarantine first hit, I was just waking up and throwing the laptop on my lap and working from there. But I noticed that there was this kind of unhealthy balance of no boundaries between personal and work life. Having to actually create boundaries in my actual space at home helps to create a routine: commuting to my desk, and then commuting to my kitchen to do lunch, and a lot of my social things happening in my living room.

HOW MUCH HAS YOUR SCHEDULE CHANGED?
Zoom fatigue is real. It鈥檚 crazy. I鈥檝e been doing so many meetings on Zoom鈥� I just read an article yesterday about Zoom and Google Meet fatigue where the video 鈥� because you鈥檙e constantly aware of people looking at you because it鈥檚 not in person, we鈥檙e utilizing our eyes and our ears and we鈥檙e conscious of how we look a lot more. For me, I found that doing this nine to 10 times a day, it can really be tiring.

We realized that in one way we鈥檙e a lot more efficient in getting things done and getting meetings done than when we were in an office, but at the same time too, we鈥檝e noticed that it鈥檚 been more mentally taxing.

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THE SETUP?
I鈥檝e just been really surprised with how efficient we鈥檝e been with our time. One thing was, wow, this many meetings can actually happen on Zoom rather than a three-hour Grab ride to Quezon City and back. That鈥檚 really game changing.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN PRODUCTIVITY, MORALE, AND HELP ENSURE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG YOUR STAFF?
Because we鈥檙e a livestream app, we do these weekly tambay sessions with the whole team, where we鈥檙e all hanging out with each other, talking, joking. I have a very strict one-on-one policy with my managers. So what I do is I check in with each of my managers on a one-on-one basis to, one, hear how they can improve the company, and, two, how they can improve their relationship. It鈥檚 a weekly check-in to see how they鈥檙e doing. It鈥檚 something I鈥檝e always done prior to the quarantine 鈥� it鈥檚 just even more important now.

By leading by example, 鈥渓ook I鈥檓 spending all this time with you managers, now I expect you to do the same thing with your teams as well鈥� and so it鈥檚 been a really great experience hearing and listening to everyone鈥檚 concerns and thinking about how a lot of people at the company feel heard.

Also, yes, there鈥檚 Slack and WhatsApp, but we created some boundaries after a certain period. For example, only me and some key co-founders really communicate with each other on the weekends, but with other senior leaders and other key employees, we try to agree on things by Friday so that if anything happens during the weekend I don鈥檛 need to contact them. Also, late night. I tend to go on these two to three o鈥檆lock in the morning spazz sessions 鈥� I try to communicate to my team that other than the co-founders, they don鈥檛 have to get back to me. They can get back to me after nine o鈥檆lock in the morning. 鈥� Jenina P. Iba帽ez

For CIMB Bank Philippines CEO Vijay Manoharan he has found joy in gardening and he has had his dog interrupt an online board meeting. Beyond being the country chief of one of Malaysia’s largest banks, Mr. Manoharan talked about how being a father changed while in the midst of a lockdown.

This interview was lightly edited.

TELL US ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HEAD CIMB PHILIPPINES DURING A LOCKDOWN. HOW HAS THE TEAM FARED SO FAR?
Nobody had planned to be put in this situation to the extent of the current arrangement. We always had discussions about doing some form of alternate work arrangement, but nothing mandatory like this. But I’m quite optimistic with how the team has been working. We actually have pulled through this in the sense that for us, the business almost has not skipped a beat.

When I speak to my people, they tell me they are as productive as [they are] focused. Surprisingly, they even say that relationships and connections with their fellow colleagues have actually improved with this remote arrangement.

In the early days, the first week of getting into this arrangement, I was quite worried. I didn’t know whether we could run the bank, effectively serve our customers, effectively fulfill our regulatory obligations. But now, it’s a pleasant surprise, we have actually been able to meet all our must do’s.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN “NORMALCY” WITH YOUR TEAM AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SO FAR FROM HOW YOU’VE CONDUCTED OPERATIONS DURING THE LOCKDOWN?
We do twice a day check-ins, morning and evening, so that the team engagement stays. Sometimes it’s a bit light-hearted. There’s also business. But there’s also some time for just some casual stuff to catch up and see how everyone is doing.

We also have held our virtual town hall meeting, once a month for March and April. So we get 150 to 200 people, everyone on video, for a virtual town hall. During our physical town hall, we only have 50% attendance. With a virtual town hall everybody can attend.

During online meetings, I noticed people seem to be more focused because we are looking at each other. But in the [physical] meeting room, sometimes people tend to get distracted, so this video set-up works too.

HOW DOES A WORK DAY AT HOME FOR YOU LOOK LIKE? DO YOU HAVE A DEDICATED PLACE AT HOME WHERE YOU WORK?
Some days it’s rigid, and some days there’s actually some flexibility. Some days I have a free 30 minutes or an hour with no meetings and I can go play with my dog. I can go to the garden and look at the plants. I can sit down with my son and look at his homework.

I have a fixed place which is here in my second living room. Because I have two kids, we each have our own fixed spaces. It helps in terms of the laptop setup. Nobody crosses my corner and I don’t cross theirs. We have our “safety zones.” We don’t hear each other whenever we have our own calls.

CAN YOU SHARE AN INTERESTING STORY THAT HAPPENED WHILE YOU WERE WORKING FROM HOME?

So I was on an online board meeting with the chairman in Malaysia and my dog goes crazy and starts to bark and bark. That was quite embarrassing. I had to mute myself because I had to shout at my dog to be quiet. He just got excited for no reason at all 鈥� during my board meeting.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN EXPAT LIVING IN MANILA DURING A LOCKDOWN?
For me, my immediate family is here, so Manila is home. It would be different if I was here and my family was left in Malaysia. But now it’s going to be two months [since the lockdown started]. And there are certain obligations in Malaysia for some extended family which I have responsibility over, and those things start to loom. At least for me, I used to go back once a month. That sort of lingers in your mind.

HAVE YOU ANY NEW HOBBIES?
I started gardening by growing vegetables 鈥� which I’ve never done in my life. But I noticed it’s a Filipino thing. Even my neighbors, they all started doing it. So I thought, okay, if they’re doing it, and I’ve got time on my hands and I’m not going anywhere on the weekends, I’ll try it too. I have corn, okra, pechay, and radish, among others.

Normally when you had [to go to] work, and you’d want to release your stress, you’d grab a drink at the bar. Now, I walk up to the vegetable plot and look at the vegetables and it’s probably my stress reliever.

WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THIS SITUATION THAT YOU WILL LIKELY BRING WITH YOU WHEN THINGS GET BETTER AND WORK GOES BACK TO “NORMAL”?

No matter how much I’ve spoken about this setup being effective, there is still something about social interaction. There is an element about holding someone, touching someone, seeing someone, which makes us humans unable to go on completely virtually. I also think about the psychology of people. How do different people think about being remote? We are learning that even though we are separate, we are still a team.

I think I’ve also learned to appreciate family. I get to see my kids the whole day. When I’m in the office, I only see them 30 minutes in the morning, one hour at night. I think that the family bonding certainly has improved a hundred fold. Honestly, once I go back to office, I’m gonna miss this arrangement. It will feel different. 鈥� Luz Wendy Noble

Ordered to stay home for two months, Filipinos learned to adapt to the 鈥渘ew normal鈥� and realized that going to office daily physically may not be the best course of action considering the risk of contracting the highly infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Companies were forced to adopt continuity plans to avoid massive business disruption during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ, now the modified ECQ) while many employees learned to establish 鈥渙ffices鈥� in the comfort of their homes.

For Kevin Palma, peso sovereign debt trader of Robinsons Bank Corp., he converted his flat screen TV into a trading platform and gathered four more gadgets to help him trade at home and make up for the four screens he uses in the office.

鈥淚 have about four gadgets helping me trade at home. All of those have functions such as trading platforms, real-time news, charts, reading e-mail, my recorded communication with counterparties and colleagues, etc.,鈥� he said in an interview conducted via Viber.

For a job that entails huge risks especially in terms of data protection, he said Robinsons Bank was quick to provide them with the needed tools and support for their work-from-home (WFH) setup ( in his case, trade from home), without compromising work quality and classified information.

鈥淓ven before the ECQ was implemented, Robinsons Bank proactively triggered business continuity measures including splitting the operations into two or more sites while adopting a skeleton force, just to name a few,鈥� he said.

His work routine also changed with the work from home scheme, noting that the line dividing work and rest has blurred.

鈥淭he thing is, ever since I started working from home, there is this urge to be productive as soon as I wake up. Unlike before, I needed to get ready and drive going to the office and that somehow enables me to warm-up and think how I will be able to attack the day,鈥� he said.

But in terms of work quality, he said nothing changed drastically as he still aims to deliver the same output quality, if not better, so his colleagues and higher-ups will not feel any difference.

鈥淎t the end of day, the company provides us with so many tools to be able to work from home efficiently and the least we can do as employees is to give it back and work accordingly,鈥� he said.

Aside from adjusting to his new work setup and work routine, he recalled that the first few days of the lockdown 鈥減resented unforeseen challenges across all industries and the first week of it was a pivotal moment to adjust from the old to the new normal.鈥�

鈥淚n the case of financial markets, everyone had to adjust to the new normal and digest everything that鈥檚 happening as COVID-19 cases continued to escalate at that time and we were just in the initial stage of the global health pandemic,鈥� he said.

It was around mid-March when the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) posted its biggest single-day drop since the global financial crisis in 2018 as pandemic fears spooked investors.

Looking back, the Philippines was the first country to shut all financial markets amid the pandemic during the first day of the Luzon lockdown on March 17.

Officials attributed the sudden but temporary shutdown to oversight when the services arm for trading Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx), securities Philippine Depository & Trust Corp. (PDTC), and payment and transfer Philippine Securities Settlement Corp. (PSSC) were not exempted from home quarantine protocols.

Exemptions were given the following day, prompting the market platforms to resume operations within the week but adopting shortened hours.

For fixed-income trading, the schedule of the pre-open session at 8:30 a.m. and morning session of 9 a.m. to noon were retained, while the break period was shortened to 12:00-12:59 p.m. The start of the afternoon session was moved earlier to 1 p.m. from 2 p.m. previously, and the closing of the market is now at 2 p.m., from 4 p.m., previously.

Following the new work setup, Mr. Palma starts his day at 7 a.m. to go about his morning routine and get ready for his 8:30 a.m. daily virtual meeting with his colleagues and bosses via Microsoft Teams during which they discuss their strategies for the day before formally starting the trading day at 9 a.m.

He usually spends his one-hour lunch period working on the reports he needs to finish and squeezes in a light snack before government securities reopen at 1 p.m.

鈥淭he GS market ends at 2 p.m. daily and from there I do my end-of- day reports that I need to report to the management,鈥� he said.

Mr. Palma said there are pros and cons to working from home, and for someone who learned to adapt like he did, he said remote working benefits both the employees and the company.

鈥淟ooking forward, I think the work from home scheme is sustainable for some since it saves a reciprocal deal of time and money for both the employees and the company,鈥� he said.

鈥淪atellite trading is not as exciting as trading onsite but the technology is exactly the same as we had in the workplace minus the social interactions with colleagues,鈥� he added. — Beatrice M. Laforga

But as people鈥檚 movements are restricted by quarantine protocols, Ateneo de Davao University鈥檚 Community Engagement and Advocacy Council (UCEAC) Chair Mark Paul O. Samante said they had to quickly adapt to keep their commitments 鈥� both internal or within the university鈥檚 different units, and external or those with other civil society organizations (CSOs) and local government units (LGUs) 鈥� going.

In an e-mail interview with 大象传媒, Mr. Samante shared some of the challenges and lessons learned from adjusting to a work from home (WFH) scheme.

The interview has been lightly edited.

How has the WFH arrangement affected your tasks/responsibilities?

At the onset of the WFH arrangements brought about by the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), greatly affected was our ability to interact and interface with CSO鈥� meetings, which may have led to a general response to uplift affected communities because of this pandemic.

While we were able to organize a goods distribution for stranded AdDU (Ateneo de Davao University) students in their boarding houses, coordinating in an online setting was something new for most of us. We were so used to being able to call for volunteers to repack and prepare the goods for distribution. This time around, we had to limit the volunteers physically present during the repacking. We had to re-tool volunteer work for online coordination with the affected students. It is tough to adjust to work that entails physical coordination and interaction, such as the one we have in the UCEAC.

What is your preferred meeting method and why?

For large meetings involving fellow university administrators, we use Zoom. The capability of Zoom to accommodate several users at once works well for administrative meetings. For office and other meetings, we usually use FB Messenger as the go-to method since most have access to this, and it uses fewer resources. We only have a small number of participants in these meetings.

Where is your 鈥渉ome office鈥�?

I converted part of my toy customizing work station in my home as my office. It serves as my home office during the day and my regular hobby space during weekends.

What time do you start your workday now compared to when you actually went to the office? What time does it end?

On a regular workday, I usually start at eight in the morning and end at five p.m. With this WFH scheme, I typically begin daily office work at nine a.m., paper works, follow up with staff, online meetings, etc. However, I start checking e-mails as early as 8 a.m. and plot my schedule for the day based on the e-mails and the tasks entailed to those e-mails. I usually end my WFH office day at five p.m.

How do you take breaks at home?

You lose track of time when at home. You start working, and before you know it, it is already time for lunch. The first couple of days working from home was much like this, late lunches and working breaks. As it went on and I got adjusted to the routines, I have managed to squeeze in breaks. I join my kid for a while, watching him play his video games or prepare lunch as my breaks from the work I have to do online.

Any interesting or funny stories from working from home?

In one Zoom meeting I had, I had to use my wife鈥檚 laptop. I forgot to log off her account, and I just realized that the profile I had on was hers when we were about the begin the meeting. I had no time to log her off. In short, I had to continue using her account for the whole meeting duration. With her account I am using, I couldn鈥檛 turn off my video and had to stay put since turning off video would display her profile picture. It might make other administrators wonder who is in their meeting.

As a result, I had to stay 鈥渙n video鈥� the whole meeting and drink from my daughter鈥檚 Hello Kitty mug, which was the only thing available near me since I could not just turn off the video and stand up while the meeting was ongoing. It also meant no bathroom breaks while the meeting was going on. Next time, check your accounts before using Zoom.

When restrictions are eased, how do you and your organization intend to carry on with work arrangements? Will they be more flexible now in terms of a WFH scheme?

We are only five in the office; we can go back to regular reporting once this is allowed again. However, working from home may be an option for anybody who wants to avail of it. We just set up a regular meeting day in the office where we are all present, and then we can do three-day shifts per staff. It would mean only three people reporting per day. It also helps in maintaining physical distancing in the office while carrying out our tasks.

Right now鈥� we are working on developing a system to help those affected by the No work, No pay policies.

As for the Ateneo de Davao University operations, we are preparing for a near fully online mode of class delivery, which has already started this summer. Near fully online education means to deliver outcomes expected of education in the Philippines based on minimum standards set by CHED (Commission on Higher Education) and DepEd (Department of Education).

Faculty were trained for the summer and are all preparing their online materials for the coming school year.

To quote University President Fr. Joel E. Tabora, 鈥淲e will be harnessing the power of technology to deliver the education it is committed to give based on its mission and vision as a Filipino, Catholic, and Jesuit University operating in and for Mindanao.鈥� 鈥� Marifi S. Jara

We spoke with chief economists Michael L. Ricafort of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. and Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion of UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. recently and they told us what life looked like for them working from home. They talked about their ways to go around the seemingly never ending new data to analyze as the pandemic stretches out and ultimately hampers growth.

There were no mentions of gross domestic product, inflation or unemployment rates from the analysts during the interview. Economists are humans too, who feel anxious about the uncertainty of the future. This is about more time spent with the family instead of getting stuck in traffic, and deadlines beaten while lying in bed after a tiring day at work in a living room.

Here鈥檚 their take outside global oil prices 鈥� of missing getting haircuts and burger cravings, packing a bag to walk 10 steps towards their workplace, and analyzing data to the beat of banging drumsticks.

The interviews have been lightly edited.

HOW HAS WORK CHANGED FOR AN ECONOMIST DURING THIS LOCKDOWN PERIOD?
Mr. Ricafort: I realized that in this field of work, the demand is bigger at times like this because clients have more time compared to what they had during normal circumstances. They have more questions. For our part, we have to deal with developments so there鈥檚 a lot to process.

There is more to monitor these days. There is more data, estimates, and calculations. Research is more in demand at a time like this so we have to work a lot.

Mr. Asuncion: I think the word is 鈥渕aximized鈥� because anytime an 鈥渁ppointment鈥� is fixed, you鈥檙e already 鈥渢here.鈥� You want to set a boundary and you鈥檙e trying to have space. Later on you start to get the hang of it.

Especially with this pandemic, it鈥檚 quite hard to follow through the spate of data all coming out. It feels like you鈥檙e trying to catch the wind. As economists, we try to make different scenarios. But by next week, another development unfolds. You鈥檙e maximized because it鈥檚 an extraordinary time.

HAS IT GOTTEN TO AN OVERWHELMING POINT, SINCE YOU ARE DEALING WITH SCENARIOS AND ASSESSMENTS CAUSED BY COVID-19?
Mr. Ricafort: I have somehow gotten used to it. Things similar to this have happened before and I was already in this line of work. There鈥檚 this previous recession [in the US] and even the Asian financial crisis 20 years back. I guess I have prepared, although this time, it鈥檚 really different because we cannot go out. It鈥檚 a different level. I have not even stepped out to the garage.

I have so far grasped it and learned to process this situation, [getting it] in perspective. That this is a health issue first. I believe our economy is strong anyway.

Mr. Asuncion: That first Friday [after] the lockdown happened, I realized I was having an anxiety attack and my heart was beating so fast. I realized the developments I鈥檓 receiving are really quite heavy, they鈥檙e out of the ordinary. It started with Wuhan and back then, we thought, wow, this is really intense. But when it started to happen here, you feel like there鈥檚 a lag as you process it, that it鈥檚 actually right within your boundaries.

To overcome that, I silenced myself and meditated 鈥� which really helped. What disrupts this serenity however is whenever an ambulance would pass by every morning. You somehow feel okay but you also feel sadness because most likely, the ambulance is bringing someone [who is] not in a very good state. And with all this, you can鈥檛 do anything. That pushes you to be in touch with something bigger than you. If I could sum it up, I guess what helped me are awareness, meditation, and prayer.

HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH THAT SENSE OF 鈥淣ORMALCY鈥� WHILE WORKING DURING THESE TIMES?
Mr. Ricafort: Realistically, I can鈥檛 wear my shoes because the floor will get dirty, because shoes are just supposed to be on the first floor near the entrance. So I wear slippers. I feel awkward when I just wear shorts with my office top. It does not feel right so I also wear my pants which are also comfortable because they鈥檙e usually khaki.

Mr. Asuncion: I still carry my bag because you have to bring it to work before, right? Just now, the 鈥渢ravel time鈥� is much shorter, it鈥檚 just 10 steps. It contains a laptop and some files which I got from previous events that I know I will eventually need. I also include my drumsticks just so I can play around with something while working.

I dress up with an office top and shorts. I felt excited in the first days and I was thinking [whether] I should wear a tie. Right now, I鈥檓 wearing this [a collared UnionBank shirt] which we usually wear on dress down Fridays.

HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH THE WORK-FROM-HOME ARRANGEMENT?
Mr. Ricafort: It鈥檚 perfect timing that my brother from Canada came home after five years and he鈥檚 the techie type. So before the lockdown, he fixed the things I will need for working from home 鈥� the desktop computer, the laptop, so that I didn鈥檛 need to bring my PC from the office.

I鈥檝e been trained to work anywhere. I work while I鈥檓 traveling, either around the country or abroad. When my wife was still alive, we were in a long distance relationship and I would work remotely every time I visited her in Boracay at least twice a month. I also worked remotely whenever I would visit my family in the US and Canada.

Mr. Asuncion: I realized it鈥檚 really possible for me to work this way and that I can do much more. That this can be possible in normal days sometimes, just to change the routine. It does help with productivity and I know some firms are already doing it. I think it can be done for my field of work because we are output-based at the end of the day.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE IN THE NEW 鈥淥FFICE鈥� WHERE YOU ARE WORKING?
Mr. Ricafort: I鈥檓 working in a sort of living room here at the second floor. Sometimes, I would also work in the bedroom. I just want to make sure there is no disruption.

These days, I could work even when I鈥檓 already tired and lying down in bed if I have to run after deadlines. But as much as I can, I try to work in the living room because I realized it鈥檚 a bit tiring to work on a laptop. This has given me a backache in the past two weeks.

Mr. Asuncion: It鈥檚 quite flexible as I can move around within the living room. If I need to have space for an interview, I just tell people here ahead of time. If I want somewhere more quiet, just like for a radio interview I had, I go to the room.

ANY LESSONS YOU鈥橵E LEARNED FROM THIS LOCKDOWN? WHAT ARE YOU ITCHING TO DO WHEN THINGS GET 鈥淏ETTER鈥� OUTSIDE?
Mr. Ricafort: I miss eating outside whenever I crave for something; also the simple pleasures. I have not had a burger since the lockdown. I also miss presenting in front of the audience. I miss my friends, too. Maybe, I also miss having a haircut. But I have been trying to condition my mind that many ladies have long hair and they鈥檙e used to it so I guess I can handle this.

I have trips lined up and it makes me excited. I know there鈥檚 a new normal and I might have to rebook some flights, especially the one I鈥檓 taking to the US. I鈥檓 also looking forward to visiting my wife鈥檚 grave.

Mr. Asuncion: In life, I realized there are things you thought you actually need but are not really what you need. That anytime, things can change. We are fortunate that we are a bank that valued digitalization even before this situation.

I really want to buy a bike. I want to go back to physical activities like swimming, cycling, and running. Because of this situation, I also learned to value more the connections here at home which were hampered by work 鈥� time spent with your partner and your kids as well.

Ms. Fronda-Ledonio starts her day by preparing breakfast for herself and her husband at 8 a.m., squeezing in a YouTube workout before beginning work at around 9:30 a.m.

鈥淚 think I have shorter hours now compared to before. Unlike now, I used to have several consultations from my team, which eats up a lot of my time. With this WFH, consultations became fewer. I can focus on my tasks and finish on time,鈥� she said in an e-mailed reply to 大象传媒 questions.

Mr. A帽onuevo, who usually had to meet clients and colleagues face-to-face, initially thought his productivity would go down as a result of the WFH set-up.

鈥淚 find that I can do the same amount of work while at home and to some extent more work can be done since I don鈥檛 have to go through two hours of traffic every day. What hampers productivity is our inability to meet with clients and show them buildings and properties, which is an essential part of the type of work that we do,鈥� he said.

While the WFH set-up has blurred the lines between office and home life, Mr. A帽onuevo avoids making calls or sending work-related messages after office hours. 鈥淚 usually stop calling clients at around 5:30 p.m. except for some who are used to chatting in the evening. I message colleagues up until about 8 p.m. I don鈥檛 message them often at this time knowing that they have their families and need their personal time too. It鈥檚 the same as when we weren鈥檛 in quarantine,鈥� he said.

DESCRIBE YOUR HOME OFFICE. WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU WISH YOUR HOME OFFICE HAD RIGHT NOW TO MAKE THINGS BETTER/MORE COMFORTABLE?
Ms. Fronda-Ledonio: Although we have several rooms in the house, I prefer working in our living room… I like [having] the TV on so I can watch the news while I work. I have two small tables. The big table is for my laptop, and the smaller table is for the remote controls for the TV, cable, ceiling fan, diffuser, and portable speaker. I wish I had a big printer beside me 鈥� also, another screen to review and compare several documents.

Mr. A帽onuevo: I use one of the rooms in our house as my home office. I usually conduct business using my mobile phone and do not need a lot of space. Nonetheless, I use my personal table as my workstation. I have all that I need to work efficiently.

WHAT鈥橲 YOUR WORK-FROM-HOME ATTIRE?
Ms. Fronda-Ledonio: It depends. Sometimes, I wear shorts and a simple shirt, with light make-up and earrings. Other times I wear my comfy pajamas the whole day. For video calls, I just change my top to look more presentable.

Mr. A帽onuevo: I wear casual attire at home which includes a collared shirt, especially when video calls are needed.

HOW DO YOU GET YOURSELF INTO 鈥淲ORK MODE鈥� WHILE AT HOME?
Ms. Fronda-Ledonio: Shifting to work mode is not a big issue for me since I am used to bringing my work home. I am actually enjoying it. I love it that I am working and get to cuddle my fur babies.

Mr. A帽onuevo: I can shift to work mode immediately after messaging a colleague to inquire about the status of an engagement. Shifting to work mode is not a big issue for me since I like my work. One thing that I noticed is that because of the gravity of our situation, the delineation of work and personal life seems to have gone [away]. I always try to maintain a positive attitude despite the current situation but I do not deny that we are in survival mode.

ANY INTERESTING EXPERIENCES WHILE WORKING FROM HOME?
Ms. Fronda-Ledonio: I have three super active dogs, and all are Jack Russell terriers. For our internal calls, my colleagues are used to the barking of my furbabies. One time, I forgot to mute my phone while giving instructions to our helper to mince some onion and garlic for dinner.

Mr. A帽onuevo: My kids would sometimes hear me talking to my colleagues. Sometimes, I would wish that they would take interest in my work, and corporate real estate, and remember these times when they are choosing their careers.

WHAT鈥橲 THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU LEARNED WHILE WORKING FROM HOME? HOW WOULD YOU APPLY THESE WHEN THINGS GET BACK TO NORMAL?
Ms. Fronda-Ledonio: Though it鈥檚 comfortable working from home for me, I do get worried for my other colleagues who could be either living alone in a condo or may need something but are unable to go out so I check on them once in a while, or I send food to their homes. After this lockdown, I鈥檇 like to continue looking more after my colleagues.

These times we are in made me see that there is so much to be grateful for: our families both from work and at home; the quietness of working from home while being with my family and furbabies and having a simple meal with my hubby; connecting with my LPC family remotely and knowing they are ok; these are everything that I am most grateful for.

Mr. A帽onuevo: I found it very important to be organized and to declutter my desk and files. One can achieve finishing tasks on time with focus. With this work ethic, the day actually goes by quickly.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE OFFICE AFTER THE ECQ ENDS?
Ms. Fronda-Ledonio: I will miss the comfort of my home, my rest time in the afternoon, watching Korean dramas and other series on Netflix and Amazon Prime, my daily cooking adventures and, of course, cuddle time with my furbabies 24/7.

Mr. A帽onuevo: I will miss not having to go through two hours of traffic to get to the office every day. I will miss the quality time spent with family of course. But I long to go back to normal work life. 鈥� Cathy Rose A. Garcia

In this e-mail interview done on May 6, Mr. Pangan said that the work-from-home situation just showed how creative and adaptive Filipinos can be despite a health crisis such as COVID-19 and movement restrictions implemented due to the lockdown.

The interview was lightly edited for clarity.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MEETING METHOD AND WHY?

Since my type of work doesn鈥檛 require a lot of video conferences, I would usually talk to clients and workmates via Viber and Facebook messenger. Viber calls seem more than enough for quick calls, while Facebook Messenger comes in handy since we鈥檙e all used to the app already.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR HOME OFFICE?

My home office consists of a simple study table and a comfy office chair, both of which have been in my room since my university days. Given that my study-room-turned-office-area is situated at the second level of our two-storey house, I always bring a jug with me to keep myself hydrated. [As the] humidity level seems to be increasing over the past few days, to not experience this not-so-friendly weather, I usually stay downstairs at our dining area. As long as I have my laptop, charger, and strong internet access, I鈥檒l be able to monitor and execute trades in the local stock market.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR WORKDAY NOW COMPARED TO BACK WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE OFFICE?

There isn鈥檛 really much of a difference, since I usually arrive at the office around 7 a.m. despite the call time being 8:30 a.m. Now that I don鈥檛 have to commute going to Ortigas, I spend the extra time eating a heavier breakfast as I read up on what transpired through the night on US and European equity markets. After cleaning myself up, I then prepare for the day鈥檚 tasks by making a list of things to do. I realized that my productivity rose the moment I utilized to-do lists.

DOES WORKING FROM HOME MAKE YOUR WORK HOURS MORE FLUID?

Working from home has allowed me to focus on my tasks more efficiently, taking away the thought of going through the heavy traffic at EDSA for one to two hours just to get home.

That one to two hours of extra time has allowed me to definitely spend more time monitoring the financial markets as well as become much more responsive to client inquiries and concerns.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS AT HOME?

It鈥檚 just the usual lunch and merienda meals. I don鈥檛 take a lot of breaks and time seems to fly really fast.

DO YOU STILL DRESS UP FOR WORK?

Since we don鈥檛 really do a lot of video calls, I just wear my usual home clothes. I do take a bath before and after working, though. I think hygiene has to be taken seriously as we go through this pandemic.

ANY INTERESTING STORIES FROM YOUR WORK FROM HOME EXPERIENCE?

Given that I sometimes work at the dining area to escape the hot weather upstairs, my family suddenly gained access to my reactions as I watched the local market fluctuate. There was one time that the local market was dropping big time, and I couldn鈥檛 help but express my surprise for the market鈥檚 movement during that day. I guess I was overly expressive that day than I usually am, but it was just because it wasn鈥檛 a normal day in the market. I saw blue chip stocks fall tremendously. I may have been too surprised that my family asked what was happening.

I guess working from home gives your loved ones the chance to witness your work routine, habits, and mannerisms.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME? HOW WILL THE 鈥淣EW NORMAL鈥� AFTER THE QUARANTINE ENDS AFFECT THE WORLD OF WORK?

There was quite a lot which I learned for the past few weeks I have been working from home, but I think being able to witness how teams recoup and organize themselves to become as efficient as being in the office is so fascinating to watch. It goes to show how adaptable humans are in times of need.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WILL CONTINUE DOING EVEN AFTER ECQ?

I would now give higher value on the people, places, and things around me that seem to have been neglected all along. The little things. It鈥檚 different for every person I guess, depending on their values and way of life. I鈥檓 sure, though, that personal hygiene is something that we can all agree on giving more attention to after ECQ (enhanced community quarantine).

DID YOU HAVE ANY SLIP-UPS DURING OFFICIAL WORK STUFF?

There are times when I鈥檝e had too much coffee to drink, and somewhere during the hours when the stock market is open, I鈥檒l have to go to the comfort room. Unfortunately, some clients call at that precise moment while I鈥檓 in the toilet. Sometimes, I do take calls in the toilet, but more often than not, I answer my phone after cleaning up. I do not have to worry, anyway, because our toilet has a lot of carpets to keep the echo at a minimal level. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

He, however, said the current situation has been a challenge to the poultry company as a group, forcing them to recalibrate their business approach and taking into account the lessons and opportunities the situation presents.

大象传媒 reached out to Mr. Mascari帽as online where he got to share his experience working from home (WFH) and how COVID-19 would affect their business moving forward.

The interview has been lightly edited.

HOW MUCH OF AN ADJUSTMENT IS WORKING FROM HOME FOR YOU?

WFH is not new to me. I normally go to the office only for meetings or to sign documents which is about three times a week. I find no sense going to the office [and] open my laptop when I can do exactly the same from home (in Laguna) without throwing away three hours of driving.

A MONTH OR SO INTO THE ECQ, WHAT ARE THE UPSIDES AND DOWNSIDES YOU HAVE OBSERVED FROM DOING WFH IN RELATION TO WHAT BOUNTY AGRO VENTURES INC. WANTS TO ACHIEVE? ANY CHALLENGES YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN DOING SO (E.G. SLOW INTERNET CONNECTION, DIFFICULTY REACHING YOUR OFFICERS, ETC.?

Communication was never a problem. My management team is used to getting e-mails, Facebook messages or phone calls from me from home. Globe installed some type of aerial antenna in my house many years ago so signal for voice calls is very strong.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MODE OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR PEOPLE (SKYPE, ZOOM, MESSENGER, E-MAIL, TEXT MESSAGE AND PHONE)?

In order of priority: 1. E-mail because I want communications organized in a folder; 2. Messenger; 3. Text message; 4. Phone

WHERE IS YOUR WFH OFFICE?

It is usually in the library but every now and then I do work at the patio.

HOW DO YOU START YOUR DAY FOR WFH? WHAT TIME DO YOU START WORKING? DO YOU DRESS UP FOR IT? UNTIL WHAT TIME DO YOU USUALLY WORK FROM HOME?

I usually start at 8 a.m., take my precious 30-minutes nap, and work until 11 p.m.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS WHILE AT IT? IF SO, WHAT DO YOU DO?

My usual break is reading and answering comments from my over one million followers on my (Facebook) page. While I have a full-time page admin answering the comments, I need to guide her on how to answer FAQs for every new post I make. This gives me a real-time update on the pulse of my market. I watch one or two episodes on Netflix before going to bed. On Netflix I like House of Cards, Race to the White House and Bolivar. You should watch them.

ANY MEMORABLE EVENTS WHILE WFH?

We discovered two new strong trade channels during the quarantine. I am excited that we will come out stronger after this.

One of the new channels are the rolling stores, which we will continue even after the quarantine and another one is expanding our product offering, carrying basic products from other companies as none of the major companies organized to bring their products close to the locked-out communities.

For the second one, products we have carried to date were from sister companies Holly Farms for pork products and Bounty Farms for table eggs. Virginia Foods for processed meat products like hotdogs. Gardenia bread. We鈥檙e still finalizing which cooking oil to carry.

We have also relaunched our fresh produce business which we shelved 10 years ago. Clear opportunity from agricultural produce rotting in the countryside because they do not have a way to bring it to the consumers. This industry is bigger than the poultry industry.

WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS YOU USUALLY TACKLE WHEN WFH? IS IT ANY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU ARE IN YOUR REGULAR OFFICE IN ORTIGAS?

Monitoring and reinforcing execution of the new trade channels. Management direction is very different since our traditional trade channels have been shut off by the quarantine restrictions. Our farms continue to produce the usual volume of chicken and we need to quickly find new markets for that.

APART FROM BAVI鈥橲 REGULAR BUSINESS, CHOOKS-TO-GO IN PARTICULAR, YOU ALSO ARE INVOLVED IN OTHER CONCERNS AS WELL, AMONG WHICH ARE 3X3 BASKETBALL AND THE MAHARLIKA PREMIER BASKETBALL LEAGUE. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THINGS SO EVERYTHING WILL BE COVERED?

I rely on my key personnel for execution. Once we agree on what needs to be done, I do not want them to bother me with day-to-day concerns. They message or call me only if it is urgent, otherwise they update me weekly by e-mail.

WITH HOW THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW, WFH WILL BE PART OF THE 鈥淣EW NORMAL鈥� FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE AT LEAST, HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR IT? IS IT BAVI READY FOR IT?

From Day One of the ECQ announcement, my stance was for a worst-case scenario that this will last up to the end of the year. While we lost close to 50% of sales from our traditional trade channels in the first week of ECQ, we are improving every week and are behind by just a little over 10%.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AMID COVID-19 AND ECQ AND MOVING FORWARD?

We cannot just wait and watch until this is over. If we do, there might be no business left after the ECQ. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Salcedo Auctions director Ramon 鈥淩ichie鈥� Lerma observed that their staff remain focused while working from home despite the lack of face-to-face interaction.

鈥淣othing can, of course, compare to in-person contact when meeting or providing feedback, particularly to our creative staff. I haven鈥檛 really felt a big change in terms of productivity 鈥� in fact sometimes I feel that we are able to do more given that people can focus more on their work while in lockdown (laughs),鈥� Mr. Lerma wrote in an e-mail to 大象传媒.

On April 18, Salcedo Auctions held its first benefit online auction since the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was imposed, selling Romulo Galicano鈥檚 painting The Wrath of God for P4 million. A second benefit online auction under Salcedo Auctions鈥� subsidiary Gavel&Block will be held on May 23 at 2 p.m. Proceeds from the first auction went to the purchase of personal protective equipment for hospitals around the country. Money raised in the upcoming auction will benefit the international food relief organization Rise Against Hunger (RAH) Philippines.

Mr. Lerma noted that everyone in the team 鈥渋s coping with the situation as best as they can.鈥�

Here鈥檚 how Mr. Lerma has been working from home over the past few weeks.

WHERE IS YOUR HOME OFFICE?
I have a home office set up inside the bedroom, but I hardly use it. My family loves to hang out in the kitchen, so my 鈥渉ome office鈥� right now is the dining table adjacent to it.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MEETING METHOD AND WHY?
I like Zoom, particularly because of the many functionalities of the platform. Our recently concluded Gavel&Block #WeBidAsOne community call was a nice way to introduce a new way for people in the art and community to gather in a convivial online setting. We received good feedback from it, and hope to do more as we deal with the COVID-19 situation.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR DAY FOR WORK? IS IT EARLIER OR LATER THAN YOUR USUAL SCHEDULE? WHAT TIME DO YOU END?

We maintain our usual work-week schedule even while working from home, so I鈥檓 usually online 鈥� on my laptop or on the phone 鈥� with my staff starting at 9 a.m. Unofficially, we end the day at 6 p.m., but it usually goes beyond that time.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS?
Yes, certainly! [Watching] Netflix. [Doing a bit of] cooking, or tasting [my wife] Karen鈥檚 cooking is a great respite from work.

DO YOU STILL DRESS UP FOR WORK OR HAVE YOU SWITCHED TO A MORE CASUAL ATTIRE?
I鈥檓 in my home lounge attire [on] most days, so I鈥檓 usually off-cam with the staff. On those days where work necessitates needing to be on-cam, then I dress appropriately.

WHAT DIFFICULTIES OR CHALLENGES DID YOU EXPERIENCE? ANY DISTRACTIONS?
Fortunately, we have not had much difficulty work-wise transitioning to operating online during this period. Luckily, our sons have their own private spaces where they can attend school online, so there has not been any distraction.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME?
The new work arrangements we have put in place as a response to the ECQ allowed us to reassess our operational requirements as well as the responsibilities that we delegated to our staff. A number of them were deployed to take on new tasks, which gave them the opportunity to show their added capabilities. Their resilience throughout this situation, for which I must commend them 鈥� has enabled us to continue to be productive. It鈥檚 not so much a lesson, but rather a reassurance that I鈥檝e gleaned from this experience about the quality of our staff, and the immense trust that our organization has built over the past 10 years seeing the community鈥榮 enthusiastic response to our auction and exhibition programs, which continue with enthusiastic resolve, and a deep commitment to society and its future. 鈥� Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Michael Ngan, president and general manager of Lenovo Philippines, said the world of work will change with the pandemic 鈥� there will be a greater focus on flexibility and agility 鈥� which means more people working from home and using laptops and other mobile devices for productivity.

A month after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) started, Mr. Ngan noted that while he still prefers to start his days early, he is appreciating having more time with his children even if they do tend to barge in on virtual meetings every so often.

(The responses were lightly edited.)

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MEETING METHOD AND WHY?
We’ve been using Microsoft Teams and so far, we’ve had a seamless experience with it for conference calls which helps us keep the business running as usual amid the enforced remote work arrangements. Recently, we hosted a launch event in the same platform for Lenovo Legion with over 70 participants from the Philippines and other countries, and to be able to pull that off with the technology we have now is truly incredible.

WHERE IS YOUR HOME OFFICE LOCATED?
I’m currently using a guest room in our home which is now a fully functioning work area, set up with Lenovo’s productivity tools 鈥� my laptop, a portable extra monitor, and noise-cancelling headsets. Our company has always advocated “work from anywhere” and while the circumstances are extraordinary, we find ourselves living that lifestyle now and thriving because of our own products. It makes me genuinely proud of seeing how our technology helped several others quickly transition into their new reality.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR WORKDAY NOW COMPARED TO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE OFFICE?
Before ECQ, I’d start my day at around 5 a.m. because I’d have to drop off my kids at school. These days, I still prefer to start as early as possible, say, around 6 a.m. Now that I don’t spend as much time on the road, I have more time to go through e-mails and attend to them after a good cup of coffee. While my schedule is largely flexible, I only pick the most important things I have to accomplish for the day and set attainable goals. Because when that’s all clear to you, you face the day with purpose.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS?
I mostly spend my breaks enjoying time with my children, especially my youngest daughter. Sometimes she just comes into the room, all curious about what I’m up to. I find that bonding and catching up with my children is a meaningful way to spend my free time and it’s something I relish as much as I can.

DO YOU STILL DRESS FOR WORK OR ARE YOU MORE CASUAL IN THE WORK-FROM-HOME SETUP?
While our work-from-home (WFH) setup today doesn’t call for a full business attire like in the office, dressing well helps me be in the right headspace and transition to work mode. You’ll often catch me in a casual shirt or our Lenovo gear. In addition, we at Lenovo make it a point to always be on video during conference calls which is a good enough reason to pay attention to what you’re wearing.

ANY INTERESTING STORIES FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE OF WORKING FROM HOME?
When you have children in the house, it’s inevitable that they occasionally barge in the room and demand your immediate attention. Despite things like that, however, I encourage my team to still communicate with the camera turned on.

The WFH scheme also prompted us as a company to think of more creative ways to engage our people while we are all cooped up at home. We have started doing non-business-related conference calls weekly, just drinking coffee together or doing morning fitness exercises. Sometimes, these are even personally led by business leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. Aside from the fun part, we look forward to these social activities to keep our mental health in check.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME? WHAT WILL THE WORLD OF WORK BE LIKE AFTER THE PANDEMIC?
The past month and so of social distancing disrupted almost everything, pushed us way out of our comfort zones, and defined a new normal for our society. The world of work post-pandemic will demand greater flexibility and agility among workers and as a technology company, we recognize our social responsibility to equip them with good productivity tools. The academe, which is also severely disrupted by the pandemic, will also find itself in the middle of digital transformation as the government is now starting to build an online education platform that we are planning to support using our LanSchool proprietary classroom management software.

As different aspects of life are driven by the current pandemic to subsist online, we will start to develop a BYOD or Bring Your Own Device culture across industries. Regardless if it’s a phone, tablet, or laptop, being able to conduct business from anywhere will empower more businesses and workers. When we fulfill our mission of bringing Smarter Technology for All, we help them easily adapt to any situation and introduce new ways of doing things that challenge the status quo. 鈥� Zsarlene B. Chua

RUNNING a business during the coronavirus lockdown requires a great deal of attention and discipline. For Jose Emmanuel 鈥淣oli鈥� M. Eala, vice-president for corporate affairs at JoyRide (We Move Things Philippines, Inc.), a work-from-home business leader can be effective if he knows how to keep his focus on the specifics of his work amid all the distractions in his environment.

In this interview, which took place over the phone on April 25, Mr. Eala talked about the importance of shifting our minds from family mode to work mode when working from home.

He also discussed how telecommuting can be economical for people and how this setup can help ease traffic in the Philippine capital.

The interview was lightly edited for clarity.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED ONLINE MEETING METHOD?
What we use is Zoom. We find it more convenient. It鈥檚 also clearer, faster, and simpler, and it also allows us to have multiple parties included in the meeting. We use Zoom to meet with our executive board. We also use it, a couple of times now, to meet with some foreign consultants, and also for our general management team meetings.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR HOME OFFICE
I have an attic in my house, so I have this little corner there where I have my computer, printer, work desk, and books. Also, the Wi-Fi is a little stronger in the attic so that鈥檚 why I prefer to use it there, and it鈥檚 quieter there as well.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR WORKDAY NOW COMPARED TO BACK WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE OFFICE
I start a little bit later now. I suppose that people expect you to be 鈥渁t home,鈥� so you can see me not really rushing to get to meetings, unlike before when we would usually have breakfast meetings. Now, I usually begin working at around 9:30 a.m. or 10 a.m., and checking e-mails usually comes first. I also do all the reading around that time. If we have a scheduled Zoom meeting, we usually conduct it before lunch, around 11. Before the lockdown, I would usually be out of the house by 7:30 a.m.

HOW CAN BUSINESS LEADERS MANAGE THEIR TIME EFFECTIVELY?
I think we have to be more conscious about our work hours now because there鈥檚 more need to be focused considering that we are just at home. I think that鈥檚 something that I have kept in mind otherwise I will lose my attention to details and a particular structure of my work life.

Because you are at home, usually you see a lot of other things that you can do in the house that are not work-related. Hence, we should be more focused, and there鈥檚 a lot more need to pay attention to details, otherwise you can be very loose in the way you treat things at work.

DO YOU STILL TAKE BREAKS?
Definitely. I think that鈥檚 where the focus has to come in because usually at work, when you go to your office, it鈥檚 all work-related; but now you鈥檙e at home and you鈥檙e in family mode all the time, there may be a tendency to attend to other things that are not work-related even during a supposedly working hour. Yes, I do take breaks and that usually means preparing meals as well as helping out in the house.

DO YOU STILL DRESS UP FOR WORK?
Unfortunately no. I don鈥檛 dress up for work, but I don鈥檛 stay in my pajamas. What I do whenever there鈥檚 a Zoom meeting is that I鈥檇 at least be in a more acceptable outfit, not necessarily shorts, so I鈥檓 still changing to either jogging pants or even a pair of jeans.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM WORKING AT HOME?
First, be adaptable. There are many things in our age already that we are very set on, like we are used to waking up at this time, having coffee, and then leaving at a particular time to be at the office, so I think there is a need to be adaptable under these circumstances. Secondly, there must be some kind of order always in your life 鈥� balance. Now that we are at home, we are forced to get to that balance because when you are not at home, you devote a lot of your time to work; but now you get to see that there are many other things that you can do and still be able to be productive.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH DISTRACTIONS AT HOME?
You can鈥檛 help it. I have kids who are still in their teens, so I can鈥檛 help it. Sometimes in my meetings, there could be some background noise. Other than that, they know that I am actually in a meeting. I in fact involve them in some of the work that I do so they can see what is being done. Sometimes, there is a delivery that happens and you have to be called, etc. So yeah, there are distractions. But most of the time, I am able to work through them.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WILL CONTINUE EVEN AFTER THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD?
The best thing about working from home is that there鈥檚 no traffic, so immediately you are productive. Also, it is very economical for people. You don鈥檛 have to be using up a lot of clothes, you don鈥檛 have to use up gas, and you don鈥檛 have to waste time in traffic, so it鈥檚 very economical. I think this quarantine has taught many of us that, perhaps, to ease traffic in Metro Manila, it might be acceptable to have an alteration of our work schedule, meaning there could be a part of the week when everyone just stays home and works from home because it is working, and I think it is something that should be socially and economically studied so that we can further advance this practice. 鈥� Arjay L. Balinbin

The previous Mindanao Business Council chair said putting on nice clothes — though skipping much of the makeup — helps her maintain a sense of normalcy at a time when businesses need to adjust to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis and modify plans for the future.

鈥淓ven during these times, I still need to put on and never put off my thinking cap as a business person and to think what is happening today and to anticipate what will happen in a post-COVID-19 era,鈥� she said in an e-mail interview with 大象传媒.

Ms. Bian鈥檚 JIB Group of Schools, which includes both primary and higher education institutions, also has a foundation that provides learning programs for those who have limited financial capacity, with housewives and household helpers among the biggest beneficiaries.

It also has a 鈥渕obile鈥� welding school in response to the demand for skilled workers in the construction industry.

One of her biggest immediate concerns is taking care of employees.

鈥淭his is really the greatest challenge of the business sector now. We are working with nothing in our hands and yet we need to give out something to our people,鈥� she said.

Her WFH day consists mostly of online meetings for continued marketing programs, planning with teachers, and talking to clients.

She has realized that a WFH arrangement works well for her and does not plan on going back to a five-day office schedule even after the restrictions are lifted.

The interview has been lightly edited.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MEETING METHOD AND WHY?
We use the Zoom app for our offices alternately with Skype. The platform (Zoom) is easy to use and available to all.

WHERE IS YOUR HOME OFFICE?
I have a small office table set up in our gazebo so that I have a beautiful view of the garden and all the greenery. It鈥檚 a welcome respite from the four walls of our home, plus the garden brings a certain joy amidst the environment of fear and uncertainty.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR WORKDAY NOW COMPARED TO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE OFFICE?
Compared to what is normal — which is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. work — my new work schedule starts from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This (lockdown) is also the best time to take a rest from all the stress and challenges of the normal work environment. The advantage of working from home is that you are not bound by time nor by the clock. We do not become slaves of time since we have all the time we have.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO TAKE A BREAK FROM WORK?
I use my breaks to play with my grandchildren and to catch up with my reading. I choose to be 鈥渁way鈥� from FB (Facebook) since I want to draw away from too much technology that dominates our life at this time.

ANY INTERESTING STORIES FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING AT HOME?
Working from home is also a great joy since it makes you realize that there is always a reason for all the seasons. Now is the time to put our bodies and perhaps mind at rest and savour the moments we have with all our family members. Imagine being with all of them for more than a month now. Getting all the members of my family even for three hours was so difficult during normal days. But now we all eat our meals together, relaxing and laughing. No more running and hurrying to go to work. The only distraction I have is my little grandchildren who would start running around with their voices so high and all the noises created by their toys, plus the goodies that are being baked for afternoon snacks, which makes eating (snacks) more of a habit now.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME?
Working from home has its blessings too. We need to focus on that rather than the negative thoughts it brings. I think after the pandemic, I will work only three days in the office and start enjoying the joys of working from home, especially [since I am in] my early senior years. This will lead to a better and healthier lifestyle. — Maya M. Padillo

The remote-work setup seems to make Mr. Bontia even more productive, as he now also heads the family’s kitchen apart from overseeing toll roads.

The bright side of the lockdown period is that it has become an opportunity for people to be more creative and innovative, he told 大象传媒 in an e-mail interview on April 25.

Mr. Bontia is the president and general manager of MPT South Corp. and its two main expressway companies towards the south 鈥� Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) and MPCALA Holdings Corp. He is in charge of the company that operates the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEx) and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

The interview has been lightly edited.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED ONLINE MEETING METHOD?
We use MS Teams for corporate video conferencing and calls. It is the official platform linked to our e-mail/communication system.

But I use Zoom in my personal devices to connect online with relatives and friends. The application has more flexibility (at least for now) in terms of having multiple video screens simultaneously displayed, making conversations much easier.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR HOME OFFICE.
Nothing fancy. A simple working table at the corner of our common room. It is the spot where supposedly the signal (internet) is strongest and distraction from the usual activities (and noise) in the house is least.

I have an alternate working table in our living room [that] I usually use at the end of the day for my last call 鈥� just so I can have a break or change of view (somewhat) from the designated workspace. It’s also the table we use as a family to play mahjong as a night capper.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR WORKDAY NOW COMPARED TO BACK WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE OFFICE?
I still start the workday at 8 a.m. either with calls to direct reports or completing admin matters (online approvals or responding to e-mails). With the ECQ, we’ve instituted a daily check-in regimen with the management teams across the different business units as well as connecting with our skeletal frontline operations.

DOES WORKING FROM HOME MAKE YOUR WORK HOURS MORE FLUID?
Yes, it’s more fluid particularly for our tollways group where we’d not implemented a work-from-home setup prior to the ECQ. We adjusted, among others, our communication protocols internally to this work arrangement during the first week of the ECQ and likewise made necessary alignments with our external stakeholders. Given that developments and directives are now happening almost daily, the coordination and scheduling with different units have been very much fluid.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS AT HOME?
I am the designated cook in our household during this ECQ, so apart from “breaks” being necessary as a way of getting my bearings for the subsequent work-related activities, I really have to take them for humanitarian purposes (as far as members of my family are concerned 鈥� otherwise I will be ganged up on by them).

DO YOU STILL DRESS UP FOR WORK?
I’d only wear a polo shirt during video conferences; but for online calls (without the need for video), it’s pretty much shirt, shorts, and slippers.

ANY INTERESTING STORIES
FROM YOUR WORK-FROM-HOME EXPERIENCE?
Relating to my cooking chores, sometimes the schedule of the online calls would overlap with the preparation of our meals 鈥� I would find myself muting video and audio while rushing to the kitchen to add more salt/spices to the food. One of the instances where you’re thankful for wireless headphones and digital technology 鈥� you’re able to still hear the ongoing online discussion while having a taste of the meal you’re preparing. And thankfully, I haven’t burnt anything (yet) in the kitchen!

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME? HOW WILL THE “NEW NORMAL” AFTER THE QUARANTINE ENDS AFFECT THE WORLD OF WORK?
From a personal standpoint, my belief in the human capacity to be creative and innovative has been further crystalized during this period. I also experienced first-hand the prevalence of “goodness” across the general public. It would do us well, and our world as a whole, to harness our human capacities collectively with kindness and goodness beyond the ECQ 鈥� beyond this crisis.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WILL CONTINUE EVEN AFTER THE ECQ?
We all need to and will recover from this crisis but at the same time prepare and be ready to bounce back. These are plans we’re firming up as we navigate through this ECQ and would be our “blueprint for renaissance” moving forward beyond quarantine.

For Nina Tesoro-Poblador, it involves a work space with a beach view and a spot of sunbathing and swimming in between meetings.

Ms. Tesoro-Poblador 鈥� an Assistant Professor at the Marketing & Advertising Department of De La Salle University-Taft’s Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business 鈥� normally splits her time between her apartment in Malate, Manila during the week, and San Pablo, Laguna where her mother, couturier Patis Tesoro, lives. Just before the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was announced, she had been out of town running a creative mentorship program for weavers in Museo Kordilyera in Baguio with her mother, before going on to Sagada to attend the 40^th year commemoration of Santi Bose’s mural, the mentor of her late cousin Carlos Celdran.

“When news of the impending ECQ broke, I decided to inch my way towards San Pablo, Laguna where my family resides,” Ms. Tesoro-Poblador told 大象传媒. “Honestly, I could not see myself joining the mad rush to go home. As a commuter, I advocate for sustainable transport so I know the stress of trying to get from one point to another in this country. As the lockdown date neared, I decided to stop by La Union before heading to Manila. When I arrived, I then realized I would not make it to Laguna as I would have to ride two public provincial buses just to get from La Union to Manila and then from Manila to San Pablo, Laguna. Too much to get through in 48 hours. I mean, I love Malate, but I knew getting locked down by the sea was a better option. I also did not want to either get sick or become a carrier, as my mom is 69 years old and at risk,” she said.

So she opted to ride out the quarantine at a family friend’s place in Coral Point, San Fernando, La Union.

But her proximity to the beach and the relatively lax quarantine in La Union did not mean neglecting her school work which involves teaching a dizzying array of subjects 鈥� Critical & Creative Problem Solving, Social Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Product Development, Service Marketing, Marketing in the Hospitality Industry and Visual Communication 鈥� to undergraduate business students. As if this was not enough, she also runs the Community Engagement and Service Learning program of her department and is writing her dissertation proposal for her DBA on Creativity in Philippine Handwoven Textiles Supply Chain.

What is your preferred meeting method and why?

As soon as the ECQ began, my university enjoined its faculty to meet via our learning management system: Animo Space powered by Canvas. We use Big Blue Button as a web conference platform in school. For other online conferences, such as those with my alma mater AIM (Asian Institute of Management), we use Zoom.

I communicate with my students via Animo Space and Facebook. I chose the asynchronous method of instruction and I have prepared videos and lecture decks for guidelines to assignments. I also have to transition properly to Blended Learning and Distance Education. For this, De La Salle University is actively providing us with training sessions which I attend regularly.

Apart from taking care of my students, my main goal now is to figure out a new normal strategy for myself and for our family business. This I plan to do while writing my dissertation proposal.

What time do you start your workday now compared to when you actually went to the office?

My eyes still automatically fly open at 6:30 a.m. every morning. I then grab a cup of coffee, do some yoga, play with the dogs, and then start working at around 9 a.m. This is the same schedule I kept while at work. Teachers are creatures of habit.

Do you take breaks?

Do breaks include going to the mobile market and cooking? If yes, I certainly do. I bike to the covered basketball court down the road and procure fresh produce for native dishes. I share with the bantays and savor the sense of fulfillment and peace of mind cooking brings.

I also sunbathe, read non-academic books, have the occasional beer while watching the sunset, and swim in the sea. And, of course, I keep in touch with my family and friends over social media. Right now I am hooked on Netflix’s The Blacklist as James Spader is simply sublime. And oh, I also like to dance as there is no one watching!

Do you still dress up for work or are you more casual in the work from home set up?

Honestly, since I am right by the shore, I am mostly in either a bathing suit or in my yoga wear. It can get stiflingly hot so I just throw on a tapis or malong (wrap around skirts) when I go down to cook, eat or do laundry. Remember, most of the clothes I have with me are for mountain weather.

(Asked how she dresses for video conferences, she cheekily says, “I don’t turn on my video,” before explaining, “When I have to, it’s a sundress and makeup.”)

Have you had any slip-ups during official work stuff 鈥� meetings interrupted by a pet for example?

Well there was that one time I forgot to turn off my mic in an online training session! The instructor was asking us to discuss in breakout sessions, but the technology was faltering. Turns out my objections were heard by all! Teachers can be bad students too.

What is the most important lesson you learned about working from home? How will the “new normal” after the quarantine ends affect the world of your work?

Keep to a schedule! Suddenly we are no longer time impoverished as we have nowhere to go, so every day feels like a holiday. A schedule will ensure productivity while in transition to the new normal.

I am actually quite excited as DLSU will be implementing Blended Learning full force by next trimester. Therefore, 50% of the time, our students will be working remotely, and I am hoping that some of these times can be in parks, art centers, and heritage sites. Community engagement can also be further practiced in off site classrooms. Pending of course the absence of a pandemic crisis such as this one.

On the homefront, my family’s destination will be offering short creative mentorship courses set in an agricultural context. My mom has always believed that ensuring survival means going back to the land, and going back to basics. Studies show that immersing in arts and crafts addresses depression and anxiety.

This being the case, I see myself continuing to travel to and from the province. I predict a lot of other people will do the same, as Manila will decongest and decentralize after this life changing experience. This is a good thing as knowledge and skills will finally be shared with the provincial communities.

鈥淲e鈥檝e always had the option to do WFH with our sales team as long as they鈥檝e hit their KPIs. Most of them are comfortable with the setup,鈥� Cha Carbonell, KMC Savills executive director for transactions and advisory services, said in an e-mail interview with 大象传媒.

Thanks to video chat technology, the team continues to hold meetings.

KMC Savills Managing Director Michael McCullough said they use Microsoft Teams for internal meetings and Zoom for client meetings.

鈥淶oom happens to be a client of ours so we鈥檝e gotta show support,鈥� he said.

Gerold Fernando, KMC Savills executive director for transactions and advisory services, said he鈥檚 glad for the extra hours gained from the WFH setup.

鈥淭he extra time enabled the team and our employees to complete trainings and online classes to improve in their craft,鈥� Mr. Fernando said.

The KMC Savills discussed what it was like to work from home with 大象传媒 through e-mail interviews which have been lightly edited.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR HOME OFFICE?
Ms. Carbonell: It鈥檚 challenging though if you have kids at home. Overall, it works for us as most of our employees are acclimated with good internet and can work efficiently despite the new distractions of young family members.

Mr. Fernando: My office is virtually any part of the house that my WiFi can reach, as long as I have with me my MS Surface and my phone. I like to move around but for more formal business meetings, I take the call inside a quiet room.

WHAT DOES YOUR WORK DAY LOOK LIKE NOW?
Ms. Carbonell: Most days are office hours but some days I start late since it鈥檚 easier to work once it鈥檚 quiet. It鈥檚 more peaceful with less distractions for more focused work.

Mr. Fernando: The day itself starts at the same time but taking away the commute to the office means you can relax the pace. There is more time to enjoy the morning coffee and even cook breakfast.

ARE YOUR WORK HOURS EVEN MORE FLUID NOW THAN BEFORE?
Ms. Carbonell: We鈥檝e had employees who respond to clients immediately despite time zone difference and we鈥檝e always been flexible with time-zones and adjust it based on our client needs. There鈥檚 definitely more time for e-mails, paperwork and updating databases, upgrading processes and looking into how we can be more efficient as a team during the lockdown.

DO YOU HAVE BREAKS AT HOME?
Ms. Carbonell: Whether or not you have kids at home, it鈥檚 important to have breaks. In my case not so much watching TV but getting up and addressing domestic issues at home and paying attention to what your kids do. As a parent you don鈥檛 want to be physically present but mentally and emotionally absent for eight to nine straight hours a day. Facebook and LinkedIn are sites to visit intermittently throughout the day.

Mr. Fernando: If there is a big gap in between meetings, a few laps in the pool helps clear the mind and prepare for the next. And sometimes I play a quick online game with the kids.

WHAT鈥橲 YOUR WFH OUTFIT?
Ms. Carbonell: I put on a jacket, but I am always in my home clothes

Mr. Fernando: I put on comfy clothes — shorts and white T-shirt. Why a white T-shirt? A business shirt is easy to wear on top when you have a video call. Obviously, the shorts are kept since they鈥檙e not captured by the camera.

ANY INTERESTING STORIES FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE IN WORKING FROM HOME?
Ms. Carbonell: I am learning how to make face masks. I got a sewing machine. Sometimes I make doll clothes for my girls. It鈥檚 a good way for me to disconnect and to keep myself sane during the ECQ. With my group of friends, we鈥檝e started a series of trivia nights through Zoom that keeps all of us entertained.

Mr. Fernando: I鈥檝e learned to cook. Having limited access to restaurants and avoiding food deliveries gave me the motivation to make home cooked meals. I realized it is actually easier, especially when you have access to YouTube recipes.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME?
Mr. McCullough: Pretty sure the home office will be a future MUST HAVE in residential designs moving forwards. Whether luxury condos or mid-high end townhouses, the home office will be given it鈥檚 dedicated and much needed space and privacy.

Ms. Carbonell: Companies in the future will be more flexible with work arrangements of employees. Connectivity, measuring productivity, motivating your team and coming up with fun ways to keep connected and engaged are crucial things to consider in WFH setups. — Cathy Rose A. Garcia

Take it from Tes Veloso, senior director for vendor strategy and relationship management at Thomson Reuters, who still finds herself behind a desk at home until 11 p.m.

鈥淚 usually start at 8 a.m. and finish at 11 p.m. This is very much like the hours I had when going to the office except that the time I used to spend in traveling to and from the office are now spent at my desk at home,鈥� Ms. Veloso told 大象传媒 in an e-mail interview on April 22.

Ms. Veloso, who heads Thomson Reuters鈥� Manila site operations, may have avoided traffic jams but says her online work meetings are occasionally interrupted by 鈥渂arking dogs,鈥� 鈥渉issing cats,鈥� and even a wandering Mom.

The interview has been lightly edited.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED ONLINE MEETING METHOD AND WHY?
Thomson Reuters (TR) uses MSTeams to meet. This is part of Office 365. It integrated our communication tools allowing us to not only meet, but share files and chat with colleagues and teammates on our computers and mobile devices. We migrated into this new platform in 2019. This move made it easier for all of us to transition to work from home because everyone had what they needed on their drives and could connect with anyone in TR around the world.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR HOME OFFICE
I count myself as lucky to have a room with a door to call my office. There are a few things about my office that I wanted to highlight: My desk was once a door to our old dining room. It is propped on top of two blue huge vases that were gifted by a family friend a long time ago. What was once was the aircon is now just an airy rectangular opening (the A/C broke down a few weeks before the lockdown). I have a couch behind me that I have not had the time to use and a treadmill to my right that inexplicably stopped working on the first week of the lockdown.

DOES WORKING FROM HOME MAKE WORK HOURS MORE FLUID?
It absolutely does! Somehow when we are working from home, we end up working longer hours and blurring the once natural lines between work and home. We need to be mindful about this because we can鈥檛 be available all day, every day. Equally important, we can鈥檛 expect others to be available all day, every day either.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS AT HOME?
It鈥檚 the breaks that help keep my mind fresh throughout the day. I don鈥檛 have a specific thing I do during my breaks — it really varies depending on how much time I have. In between some meetings, you will find me in the kitchen preparing snacks or meals. We鈥檝e learned to be more creative in the kitchen using available ingredients to prepare new dishes that we did not have the time for before. I also try to take yoga breaks every day. I鈥檝e been able to get my nephew to join me. He puffs and grunts his way through the practice but comes back every day for more. I also check in with teammates, family and friends throughout the day — keeping connected with them and knowing how they are doing helps when you can鈥檛 see them in person.

DO YOU DRESS FOR WORK?
I go to 鈥渨ork鈥� in a nice top, shorts, and barefoot. I don鈥檛 think that my feet will be able to adjust to heels when we are back in the office. I also put on a 鈥渨ork from home face鈥� — which means fixing my hair and putting on light makeup but with the heat, that鈥檚 gone by lunch.

ANY INTERESTING STORIES BASED ON YOUR WFH EXPERIENCE?
Barking dogs and hissing cats are daily fare in my house. I was on a video conference once. The door was closed (a sign to everyone not to enter) when my mom walked in, walked behind me to take a pen and paper from my desk to write a note. My colleague was sweet enough to actually stop our meeting and wave 鈥淗i!鈥� to her.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM WORKING FROM HOME?
Ultimately, making this arrangement work rests with having a strong culture that is lived by the people. So that, regardless of disruptions or changes to the way we have to work, we鈥檙e still able to bring out the best of ourselves and our teams. The shift to working from home emphasized one of TR鈥檚 values: Trust — The ability to trust team members in a WFH set-up is crucial for our managers. We went from 0% to 100% working from home in the space of a few days.

When we did this, there was no question in our mind that our people would deliver — we just needed to make sure that we set them up in the best way possible to do this. We trusted that every member of the team would act with positive intent and knew that we could trust them to get the job done even without the personal interactions with their managers and teammates that characterized how we used to working.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WILL CONTINUE EVEN AFTER THIS?
Yes, exercise. While I鈥檝e known this for I while, it took the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) to make me fully appreciate that exercising does not require access to gyms, yoga studios, or the UP Academic Oval. All you really need is a space and a little discipline until you build a routine making exercise a part of your day. I鈥檇 like to believe that while we are staying home and staying safe, we are also getting healthier. — Cathy Rose A. Garcia

For Neil Trinidad, the chief marketing officer of e-commerce platform Lazada Philippines, it came as a surprise just how productive the company could be even without employees being physically present in an office. It says a lot about the importance of more companies going digital, he told 大象传媒 in an e-mail interview on April 21.

He also discussed how it’s important for him to keep a routine and shift into “work mode” at home 鈥� which means wearing linen shirts and pants and house slippers, and learning how to cut his own hair.

The interview has been edited for clarity.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MEETING METHOD AND WHY?
We use Dingtalk, which is [the Alibaba Group’s] enterprise communication and collaboration platform. Lazada is a regional company, so working remotely is not something new.

Daily, our communication tools enable me to stay connected with my team, make fast decisions, run multiple workstreams, and do quick work turnarounds. We also have video conferencing tools to stay engaged 鈥� we do weekly coffee sessions with the marketing team, dress up according to a theme, and share positive focus 鈥� things we’re grateful for or new things we’ve learned.

We also utilize the software to conduct company-wide livestreams for our employees, alternately hosted by our executive team, keeping them up-to-date on what’s happening with the business and staying connected even as we all work apart in our homes.

WHERE IS YOUR HOME OFFICE LOCATED?
My home office is in our study room/guest room. I have a great view of [Bonifacio Global City] with lots of natural light and fresh air. I realized early on how important it is to create an inspiring workspace at home. I set up my desk with a plant, an aromatherapy diffuser, a lamp, and a Google Home Mini for ambient music, which I turn on in between calls.

WHAT TIME DO YOU START YOUR WORKDAY NOW COMPARED TO BACK WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE OFFICE?

My day starts before 9 a.m., answering messages from the various teams and catching up on e-mails. Like many others, I have back-to-back meetings and calls throughout the day. I also always make sure that I do regular alignments with the team so we’re all aligned on things that need to be accomplished for the week.

I’ve been amazed at how productive work from home can be for us at Lazada. During the ECQ, we’ve been: able to resume operations of essential goods on our e-commerce platform; start a digital giving fundraiser for frontliners through LazadaForGood; created and operated new livestream shows, like our LazadaForGood #RadioGives Charity Concert Series, and a brand-new show, Sing It! with Mimiyuuuh, all of which were written, produced, and streamed from home.

DO YOU TAKE BREAKS?
In between meetings, I play with my dogs and catch up on social media. In the afternoon, I grab myself a cup of Nespresso and play blinks from Blinkist. I’ve been wanting to read more, but I haven’t had the time, so I catch up on the books I’ve wanted to read by listening to 15-minute blinks.

DO YOU STILL DRESS UP FOR WORK OR ARE YOU MORE CASUAL IN THE WORK FROM HOME SET UP?

It’s really important for me to mentally and physically transition to work mode. I still maintain my morning routine and I try to “dress up” for work, which now means linen shirts and pants and house slippers. And I learned how to cut my own hair, an [enhanced community quarantine] skill unlocked!

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU LEARNED ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME? HOW WILL THE “NEW NORMAL” AFTER THE QUARANTINE ENDS AFFECT THE WORLD OF WORK?

From a personal view, working from home during ECQ has underscored the importance of empathy and staying connected. With so much uncertainty, I learned that you can never go wrong when you over-communicate with your team. It’s important to constantly reassure them, to clarify directions, and to keep them motivated.

From a business view, what’s clearer to me is that in this “new normal” all businesses need to be digital businesses and that all businesses need to do good. COVID-19 has been a disruptor for many SMEs (small-medium enterprises), but it’s also shown that it’s not too late to reposition your business and find new opportunities online.

Besides putting together consumer experiences as people stay indoors more, we also rallied the teams to develop a P100-million incentive seller package 鈥� the Lazada Bounce Back Together program 鈥� to help businesses have an easy, convenient [way], and the knowledge to tap into online selling for business continuity.

As I’ve mentioned, one important lesson that I share with the team was how we are able to pull off major campaigns and initiatives while working remotely. With the unprecedented circumstances, we were able to quickly rethink our strategies on what is badly needed during this time 鈥� help out in every way you can. And the only way to pull this off, it’s communication, communication, communication!

COVID-19 has also shown us that businesses and brands have the power to do good 鈥� whether it’s in helping frontliners, helping the community, or making it easier for people to transact and “live online.” Moving forward, I think all businesses and brands need to activate “purpose” as part of their business as usual. 鈥� Zsarlene B. Chua