5 Ways to Keep the Barkada Bond Alive

If you have constant friends who’ve been there for you through the happy and tough times, stayed by your side with a bottle of beer on hand when your first girlfriend broke up with you, and whom you’ve compared notes with when it comes to grooming and scoring pogi points, then you’ve got yourself a solid barkada.

The great thing about having a barkada is that distance will never be an issue and you’ve probably proven that during these times. You have an understanding that you can do your own thing and still be there for each other. To keep this friendship alive, here are some things you can do with your closest group of friends, even if you’re miles apart.

Online drinking sessions are quite popular and can be as fun as they are in person. Schedule a video call and prepare your favorite beer or whiskey of choice. Grab chips or pulutan and get ready to catch up with your bros. You’ll soon be having fun virtually while hanging out for hours on end. In case anyone takes a picture and posts it on Facebook, make sure your face looks clean! Prior to the call, wash your face with POND’S Men Energy Facial Wash, which has coffee extracts and cooling menthol to give you brighter-looking skin.

Send your barkada bro packages that contain fun stuff like comic books, snacks, and grooming goodies. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Practical items like grooming and hygiene essentials can be very useful.

You can put together Dove Men+Care Anti-Dandruff Shampoo for a product that can take care of their hair and scalp, Rexona Men Ice Cool Roll-on to replenish their deodorant stash, and Lifebuoy Antibacterial Hand Wash with Multivitamins+ Total 10 in portable bottles that they can bring whenever they go out to do essential errands.

Food is a great way to stay connected, especially for Filipinos. Food delivery apps are heaven-sent in this time! You can get almost anything delivered – pizza, burger, milk tea, and even healthy snacks! On special occasions, you can surprise your barkada with their favorite food, or even have a fun cake designed especially for them.

What better way to bond with your best friends than over a video game competition! Staying at home won’t be an issue as technology has allowed us to play with or against each other, even if apart. Re-enact your days of playing video games in your room — keyboard smashing and screaming at each other whenever you’re beating the final boss.

There are tons of titles to choose from, and you can decide whether you want to play on your PC or laptop, or through a PS5. If you want to try the talk-of-the-town game, play Among Us with your whole barkada.

If you’ve been waiting for a title to drop on Netflix or have been meaning to finish all 500 episodes of 'Naruto: Shippuden', then a watch party is perfect to keep the barkada alive. 

You can simultaneously watch while on a video call on Zoom, utilize third-party apps like the Watch Together Chrome extension or Teleparty, or hop on your private Discord server during your movie night. Don’t forget the popcorn and drinks!

Keeping your barkada bond strong all boils down to communication. A call or a simple message is all it takes for your buddies to know that you’re always there for them. Missing your best friends? Share this article with them!