Reinterpreting pagtitimpi as a Filipino value in mitigating the COVID-19 transmission

Abstract

Aside from the Christmas season, another cultural period that stimulates abundant tourism and travel in the Philippines is the Lenten season. Hence, this season is a major setback in the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019. Fasting and abstinence, acts which mark the Lenten season, are closely tied up with the Filipino cultural value of pagtitimpi in that both promote restraint and self-denial. Ultimately, this article suggests that reinterpreting pagtitimpi can be crucial in controlling the virus.