MAYNILA — Swak sa papalapit na tag-init ang mala-Bali na transformation ng roof deck ng isang digital marketer sa Parañaque nitong Pebrero.

Ayon kay Raj Bay, matagal na silang hindi lumalabas ng bahay ng kanyang mga magulang na may edad na dahil delikado, at nais sanang magkaroon ng libangan sa darating na tag-init.

"Both my parents are high-risk for the virus and we literally [have never gone] out since the lockdown in March except for some vet visits for our dog. And since the summer season is approaching, we thought of just creating a space where we could feel we’re away from home," kwento ni Bay sa ABS-CBN News nitong Miyerkoles.

"The rooftop has been useless for around 10 to 15 years and turned into sampayan since pandemic. So finally we’re able to find a purpose for it," dagdag pa niya.

Aniya, hilig nila ang pagpunta sa beach kaya naman pina-renovate nila ang kanilang roof deck na noon ay nagsilbing sampayan.

"We love the beach and outdoors, and wanted the roof deck to resemble something we’d go to on a normal summer season. The peg really are bali villas with gazeebo, floor pillows and private pool," aniya.

Ayon kay Bay, inabot ng P50,000 hanggang P60,000 ang renovation na sinimulan nitong Bagong Taon at natapos noong unang linggo ng Pebrero.

Ilan sa mga gamit ay pinaglumaan na at karamihan ay sila rin ang nagdisenyo para makatipid, dagdag pa niya.

"We’re supposed to have a gazebo made. But we found an old garden tent I think we got 5 years ago but ended up in storage. So we just brought it back to life. This saved us around P30,000 in materials and labor," ani Bay.

"The pool area is pretty much DIY. We just saw a palochina supplier on FB Marketplace. Had them treated and then fixed for decking. The pool is just a kiddie pool from [online] and bought a small filter. Not the inflatable ones because baka mabutas.

Ayon pa kay Bay, naging hamon talaga sa kanila na makapag-improvise o bumili online para makatipid sa mga materyales.

"Since we did a lot of event prods in the past, we had old metal frames which we repurposed for the deck frames. ... For the round cushion, I ordered them from Facebook Marketplace. For the other cushions, cut old foam, got a nice printed table cloth from [online] and had our neighbor mananahi make a cover," saad ni Bay, na isang public relations and marketing professional.

"As for white curtains, I wanted them to be functional and not just for design. I found a Divisoria supplier for tafeta fabric (waterproof). [I] had them made into curtains and so that’s how I close the entire gazebo when it rains. The plants are from our garden and I asked some from our neighbors. The huge areca palms I got them from Facebook Marketplace," dagdag pa niya.

May ilang tips din siya sa mga nais gawing relaxing ang espasyo sa kani-kanilang mga tahanan.

"Tip before renovation, check out your bodega for whatever you can repurpose before purchasing anything. Research if tama 'yung gagawin para hindi sayang."