11.067
12 (Thu) March 2020
Bagiuo Beans in Oyster Sauce
2.5
by LL
at home
-Dasmariñas Village, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines-
with the Family
Green beans are very common/cheap in the Philippines. They’re called “Bagiuo beans” here, presumably in reference to the city of Bagiuo, perhaps where the beans are grown?
Our helper can be relied on to make a decent plate of beans sautéed with garlic in oyster sauce, exactly the same application that she does for other vegetables (see for example 9.120 Stir-Fried Cauliflower, 11.023 Chayote Guisado).
On 9 March 2020, I posted on the shutdown of schools across the country; at the time, 109,577 global cases (7,382 in Korea, 10 in the Philippines, 7,375 in Italy, 6,566 in Iran); 3,123 global deaths (51 in Korea, 1 in the Philippines, 366 in Italy, 194 in Iran) (see 11.064 Stir-Fried Watercress and Shimeji Mushrooms).
Yesterday, WHO declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.
As of today, 125,048 global cases (7,869 in Korea, 52 in the Philippines, 12,462 in Italy, 9,000 in Iran); 4,613 global deaths (66 in Korea, 2 in the Philippines, 827 in Italy, 354 in Iran). While the situation would appear to be improving in parts of Asia, countries in other regions are getting worse, notably but not limited to Italy and Iran.
This evening, the Philippines imposed a “lock down” of Metro Manila, effective 16 March 2020. Not entirely sure how the policy will be implemented, but for now it appears primarily to restrict movement in and out of Metro Manila, not affecting movement within Metro Manila. Schools will be shut down at least through 10 April, another 4 weeks of lost classes. The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, as a key player in the regional and national response effort, remains open for business.
So long as I’m still reporting for work, I will use this as an opportunity to take more control over what I eat at lunch. Even in times of peace, the food service in the cafeteria leaves a lot to be desired (see for example 10.153 Beef Caldereta + Steamed Vegetables + Steamed Rice), so I’ve decided to stop eating it altogether. I will begin packing lunch from home as a regular practice. Otherwise, I will use instant products, which I stocked up on tonight.