This paper reports the policy-responses of different Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) to the novel coronavirus, COVD-19 pandemic. It compares these responses with those made by HEIs in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Publicly available data and news reports were used to gauge the general public's reaction to these policies and how the Philippines' responses fare with its Southeast Asian neighbors. The paper observes that despite the innovations made by Philippine HEIs in terms of alternative learning modes and technologies for delivering education, there are still gaps and challenges in their responses. It recommends that policy-responses and learning innovations should be grounded on a deeper understanding of distance education and should be sensitive to the call of the times.

In a recently published letter to the editor of this journal, the authors have called for the need to establish psychological support structures that cater to people’s mental health in this time of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. To be more holistic, we extend this call to include people’s spiritual well-being as well. We highlight the initiatives of the Philippines’ religious sector. In particular, we report some of the interventions made by the Roman Catholic Church that have led to the social media hashtag, #ChurchInAction. These religious and spiritual interventions showcase the efforts of the Philippine Church and play an important role in providing assistance in time of public health crisis.

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At the onset of the pandemic, people resort to coping mechanisms to lessen the impact of social distancing enforced through quarantine protocols. Confined to their homes, despite recent relaxation of mobility and travel sanctions, many people find comfort and psychological reassurance in plant tending and gardening. Plants have been known for their medicinal and recreational purposes and their psychological therapeutic value. In the case of the Philippines, plant parenting has become a viral phenomenon.