What changed for Honorio Banario during the ECQ?

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario is a creature of habit. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Banario used to run outdoors and enjoy the breeze of Baguio City before sweating it out at Team Lakay’s central gym.

He wrapped up training with a meal at his favorite restaurant, then went home to call it a day.

But those days seem to be in the distant past now.

“Because of the strict implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), I miss doing a lot of stuff… Things that we used to do back then, like train anytime in the gym and the track, run in trails, and eat at my favorite restaurants after training,” Banario said.

But as long as he remains safe and can make ends meet, Banario will be forever grateful.

“It’s really a tough situation to be in. But so far, I am grateful that my family is okay, even though it really is tough to move,” Banario said.

“So what I am doing now is I jog every day and improvise CrossFit at home to stay in shape.”

For the 30-year-old from Mankayan, Benguet, the least he can do now is be a model citizen, especially since people look up to him.

Difficult moments call for bigger sacrifices, and while it is tough, Banario reminds his compatriots that these times will pay off in the future.

“It’s really tough to be in this position, particularly since we have a baby in our household. Sometimes we get paranoid and overthink it,” Banario said.

“But if we’re going to be disciplined this time, and we sacrifice a little bit, we will get through this. We’re a resourceful nation, we just have to be patient now.”

He may be missing a lot of things, but “The Rock” is not too keen on returning to normal even if the ECQ lifts in their area this Saturday.

“The first thing I’ll do after the lockdown is still observing and wait before I get back to normal, because we need to be careful,” Banario said.

“I hope everyone will take safety measures, even after the lockdown when we’re back to normal, whether we’re training or working. I am just hoping for the best now.”