MANILA — While Filipinos are beginning to get used to wearing face masks, they still have a lot to learn when it comes to avoiding the spread of COVID-19 in social settings, medical anthropologist Dr. Michael Tan said Friday.

This includes proper behavior when it comes to coughing, sneezing, spitting and even socializing.

Tan, who is also a newspaper columnist and former University of the Philippines chancellor, said he has seen so many Filipinos selling face masks online and in their communities.

“Mukhang major cottage industry ito (face masks). Ang cu-cute pa naman ng designs,” Tan said during a virtual briefing with the Department of Health.

(It seems this has become a major cottage industry. The designs are cute.)

He said he was surprised that some even managed to make face shields at home. One design he saw was a face shield attached to a hat, making it dual-purpose for the rainy season.

“There is so much ingenuity there,” he said.

However, he said the government will have to educate Filipinos on how to properly handle face masks as he’s seen how some touch their face masks not knowing that they can infect themselves by doing so.

He said coughing etiquette should also be explained properly since there is no exact translation to the phrase “cough into your elbow.”

SPITTING IN PUBLIC

“Marami tayong durarista. Mga teroristang dumudura. Malaking cultural issue ito,” he added.

(We have a lot of people who like spitting in public. This is a big cultural issue.)

He said some Filipinos believe that it’s not good to keep phlegm in their throat so they spit it out on the streets.

“Ang tingin pa natin sa laway healing pa 'yan. Pwera usog sa mga bata,” he pointed out.

(We also think that saliva can be healing. Something to counter a hex.)

“May ibang syudad na nagpass na rin ng ordinance that will penalize it (spitting). But as we know 'yung enforcement n'yan (ang kailangan),” he added.

(There are some cities that already passed an ordinance penalizing it. But as we know it needs to be enforced.)

Asked about how the Philippines should react to Chinese nationals who are also observed spitting in public, he said businesses should be told to educate their workers.

“Wag namang deportation but we will need something stricter,” he said of the establishments hosting foreign workers.

NO PARTIES?

Another cultural issue that Filipinos would have to address would be their love for socializing.

“Wag na tayo magbirthday party (We should not hold birthday parties),” he said, joking about how an image of a man blowing candles on a birthday cake might spread the COVID-19 virus.

“We’re huggers. We like to hug people, beso-beso (kiss as a greeting). Medyo nahirapan tayo sa konsepto ng physical distancing (We’ll have trouble with the concept of physical distancing),” he admitted.

Despite this, he said Filipinos should understand its importance since staying away from other people is “life saving" because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the government will need to define what activities should still be banned — from social drinking to karaoke to cockfights.

But while government will need to strictly impose physical distancing measures, he said some leeway should also be given to the vulnerable population such as the elderly. He said the elderly should be allowed to go out to get fresh air and sunlight. However, they should wear face masks and not loiter on the streets.