Alternative Ways to Stock Up on Hard-to-Find Essentials

This period of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has truly been difficult for almost everyone in the Philippines. Things that we used to take for granted, such as going to the supermarket or dining in a restaurant anytime we wished, are now activities that we truly miss. As the rather cliché adage goes, you won’t know the value of something until it’s gone. In this case, it’s the freedom and convenience to go out whenever we want to satisfy our desires or to acquire the daily things we need. Nevertheless, staying home and staying put is extremely important for us to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.

In many ways, the pandemic has also brought out the good in us—our creativity, resourcefulness, resilience and adaptability. Even if it has become quite difficult to physically go out, we Filipinos surely find ways to scrape by and get the things we need for our daily living.

During this time of community quarantine, many of us have resorted to alternative ways of stocking up on hard-to-find essentials such as food items, personal hygiene supplies, and many others. In this short feature, we’ll put a spotlight on some of these measures that we’ve come to adopt.

Shopping Online Using Cashless Payment Methods

Even if the pandemic came about quite suddenly, we have been able to cope quite well, thanks in large part to modern technological resources such as mobile communications and the internet. Purchasing our needs online has never been such a lifesaver until now. Not only is it convenient, but it is also a safer way to shop because it minimizes our physical exposure to other people, thus also helping prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Online shopping these days is made even more effortless with technological solutions such as the Maya app. Downloading it and opening an account allows you to create a virtual prepaid card that you can use to buy groceries and other essentials online. This is good news, especially for ordinary folks who do not have a physical credit card or debit card, which are usually used to carry out payment transactions online. With your Maya virtual prepaid card, you can even choose between Visa or Mastercard, both which are top payment network processors in the world. Either one is reliable, trustworthy, and used by millions of people around the globe.e.

Using a secure virtual prepaid card such as the one provided by Maya is a good measure against unwanted incidents such as unauthorized use of physical cards. You can also use a virtual prepaid card just like any credit card but without the worries of going deep into debt because you only spend whatever money is already in your account.

Buying Items from Social Media Marketplaces

Buying things online need not be limited to well-known brands or shops. These days, there are many online communities and interest groups that feature individual sellers of essential goods. These groups are sometimes organized by geographic location, such as cities, barangays or even condominium buildings and subdivisions. Sometimes, they are also organized by interest, such as those looking for electronics, craft materials, common household items, and the like. .

Checking out social media marketplaces is a good way to secure your much-needed essentials, especially during this time of a pandemic. It’s also a great way to support individuals who may be struggling financially at the moment.. These could be moms who are offering home-cooked meals, artists who are looking for additional sources of income by selling their work online, or even people who want to barter the goods they no longer want with items that they actually need. What’s even better is that you can use your Maya account to pay them through money remittance. You can easily send money straight to their own Maya accounts or even to their bank accounts. Another option is to link your physical Maya prepaid card to your Maya account so you can use it to pay for online purchases instead of sending money through remittance.

When buying items through online marketplaces, just be cautious and make sure you are dealing only with reputable sellers. This is because there are also a number of people out there who are out to scam you of your hard-earned money. Before trusting an online seller, you can check out existing reviews of their goods and services. You can also ask for proof of their identification and address so you will have recourse just in case things don’t turn out as expected.

Choosing Non-Physical Payment Transactions in Brick-and-Mortar Shops

Thankfully, as we move into general community quarantine, restrictions on the physical movement of people are also being relaxed, and we can now go to malls, groceries, and other shops to buy much-needed essentials such as medicine, toiletries, food, and other items.

In order to continually keep yourself safe from the risks of contracting the virus from public places, choosing scan-to-pay options at your favorite stores is the best way to go. Maya made this possible by partnering with hundreds of merchants throughout the Philippines, which now offer Maya QR as an alternative payment method. You simply take a shot of the store’s QR code with the Maya app on your mobile phone, which then transmits your payment electronically straight to their mobile wallet!

Purchasing Mobile and Internet Load Online

Mobile and internet load are now considered essential to our daily lives as well. Not only do people need mobile and internet access in order to communicate with their family and friends, connectivity is also essential to those who make their living online. Thankfully, even if you can’t physically go out to buy mobile or internet load from your favorite neighborhood sari-sari store, you can easily purchase it through Maya—another reason to go digital and make use of this truly versatile app.

Opting for Digital Entertainment

Keeping yourself and your family preoccupied during the lockdown inside the house can be challenging, but you only have to be creative, and your options for entertainment will be practically endless.

Aside from playing good old analog games with your family, you also have the option of checking out a ton of online content, including movies, TV shows, and online games, which can all help make your time together more fun and enjoyable. The best part is that you can easily purchase gaming PINs, Steam credits, special DLCs, in-game items, and even specialized gaming hardware using your Maya account.

For music lovers, you also don’t have to contend with unreliable or sketchy bootleg content because you can use Maya to access legitimate streaming services such as Spotify Premium and other downloads from Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon and many other content sources.

Being in lockdown mode doesn’t mean having to go by without life’s essentials. If you can’t go out to get what you want, digital solutions such as Maya can bring a whole world of choices to you!