FREEPORTS AND ECOZONES
Children are hanging out at Baywalk again By January Guia Caringal-Bawat
C
hildren are now playing games and having fun outdoors.
When the Poro Point Baywalk in the City of San Fernando, La Union was built in 2017, children and adults became frequent visitors of the park. The Baywalk offers a wide range of outdoor activities, such as biking, jogging, running, playing volleyball, basketball, etc. Children swarmed towards the playground and adults used the open spaces for activities like Zumba. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, it put the lives of many at a standstill. For almost a year—before vaccines were rolled out—few people were allowed outside, and only for essential activities. Tourist spots like Baywalk suddenly turned into a ghost town. It also became a barometer of changing times. La Union residents Earl and Mickah Macasieb, who used to frequent the Baywalk, remember what it was like to live as teenagers at an unprecedented time, and how it was like to finally see the outside world agan. Earl Rafael V. Macasieb is a 7-year-old student at the Union Christian College in San Fernando City, La Union. Before the pandemic, he was just like any kid
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who loved to go out and have fun with family and friends. When the pandemic required everyone his age to stay at home, he felt uneasy. To relieve his boredom, he relied on his hobbies: playing online games, watching anime and cooking food. He learned to do exercises at home to overcome the numbing dullness. Being in the house for a couple of months took a toll on him emotionally as well. “I felt depressed, burned out, and bored because I couldn’t have fun with my classmates,” Earl says. He was not ready for the situation, but as the months passed, he slowly adapted to the current setup and relied on his gadgets and social media to communicate with his friends. Earl’s sister, Mickah Earl V. Macasieb, 12 years old, shares almost the same sentiments. During pre-pandemic days, Mickah enjoyed biking and playing with her friends in the playground at the Poro Point Baywalk. Just like her brother, she felt unhappy when they were not allowed to go out. Since then, Mickah’s daily activities included attending online classes, doing her assignments, and eating. As the months passed, she eventually experienced