History in Lockdown

Looking Back #17

by Ambeth R. Ocampo

Lockdown had forced all of us to rethink life as we knew it, and it was hoped that we didn't just return to pre-lockdown routine later but to adapt and adopt new ways on a new life.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

120 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

Lamberto R. Ocampo better known as Ambeth R. Ocampo (b. 1961) is Filipino historian, academic, journalist, cultural administrator and author best known for his writings about Philippines' national hero José Rizal, and for his bi-weekly editorial page column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, "Looking Back." He became the Chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 2002 until 2010, and was appointed as Chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2005 until 2007.

Reviews

[kb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy the bite-sized history, though I wish this collection had included a few more stories.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick snapshot of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and how we passed the time during the subsequent nationwide lockdown. From the plantitas to binging Queen's Gambit, Prof. Ocampo draws parallels throughout Philippine history to offer lessons and interesting tidbits of our shared past to navigate such an unprecedented episode in our lives.

[Khonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs to be proofread. There were sentences that did not make sense, so I had to google the original articles (published in Philippine Daily Inquirer).