No more ‘pwera usog:’ Some Pinoy practices need curbing

Being a “durarista” (frequently spitting in public), “macho haching” (loud sneezing) and touching a baby to protect him or her against “usog” (illness) are just some of the habits or practices that will have to be tempered as Filipinos gradually resume their social life after quarantine.

For medical anthropologist Dr. Michael Tan, there is a need to further educate the public about some cultural or personal quirks that used to be considered relatively harmless but may now increase the risk of coronavirus infections.

“I’m worried because we still have a lot of durarista. It’s a huge cultural issue,” said Tan, a resource person in the online media briefing held by the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday.

“We need to intensify our public health campaigns. In reality, there are a lot of Filipinos who do not believe that saliva is a problem,” he added.

Tan, who is also an Inquirer Opinion columnist, also cited the folk practice known as “pwera usog” wherein an adult who compliments a baby—say, for being fat or cute—must lick the child’s finger and trace a cross on the baby’s forehead, supposedly to protect him or her from any discomfort later.

Sneezing loudly—macho haching, as Tan put it—would also defeat the purpose of social distancing or maintaining at least a meter separation between individuals, especially in enclosed spaces.

Tan also cited the estimated 100,000 Chinese workers employed in the controversial Pogos (Philippine offshore gaming operators) as another health concern.

“Spitting [in public] is also an issue among the Chinese,’’ he said. “There are cities like Manila that have ordinances penalizing it, but the problem is enforcement. Do we need to have them arrested? I’m not sure if that is the right approach. We have to work on this.”

Local authorities might as well enforce such ordinances strictly, he said, since the Chinese workers are used to stringent measures in their home country.

“We have to get to the owners of (Pogo) establishments that we mean business here. If caught, we need something stricter than what we would apply to ourselves,” Tan said.

Karaokes, bars

Under the so-called “new normal” ushered in the pandemic, popular Filipino pastimes like binge drinking or marathon karaoke sessions may have to be curbed as well, he added.

The very act of singing itself increases the chances of spreading the coronavirus, Tan said, citing media reports.

Bars should therefore remain closed, he added, also because proper physical distancing may not be observed strictly or consistently in such places.

Tan asked the DOH to also come up with guidelines for elderly people who need to go outdoors from time to time so they can exercise or get some air and sunshine.

Confining the elderly to their homes increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, he said.