Unorthodox: The New Normal

Last March 17, 2020, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte implemented community quarantine in the entire Luzon that paralyzed not only the transportation system but also the economy of the entire country just to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

The “New Normal” is the state of having a new way of living as a remedy to a catastrophic event. New Normal was first implemented during World War I, the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the September 11 attack, the aftermath of the 2008 -2011 recession, and the latest COVID-19 crisis.

The implementation of new normal changes people’s daily routine because of the shift from the traditional face-to-face classes to blended learning approach—a combination of virtual classes and modular distance learning where we take our classes using mobile phones and laptops.

All the fun students had inside the school were also suspended. People are obliged to wear face masks and face shields every time they go outside their homes. Before entering the school premises, it is mandatory to perform mandatory protocols like washing of hands and checking of body temperature.

In this New Normal, people are restricted from going to public places. In Ateneo de Naga University, the school that used to be a place with so many activities and celebrations now looks like a gloomy place; hallways are unoccupied, the stores on the canteen are all closed, and the classrooms are unused.