Convenience

To our dear customers:

We sadly inform you that our convenience store will be closed for two weeks beginning 2 May 2024 to give way to a cleaning and blessing.

Our management has decided that this action is necessary after many incidents endangered the mental well-being of our employees, especially those on night duty.

The last incident, which prompted our management to make the decision for a temporary closure, involves a night shift employee.

On the night of 27 April 2024, said employee was manning our cash register when she heard someone enter the store.

According to her statement, the employee greeted the customer and his lady companion as they walked through the aisle.

Our employee said the male customer (around 30 years old and 5’10” in height) smiled at her but his female companion (long black hair, slightly pale and 5’0″ in height) ignored her but continued to follow him around.

The male customer picked up a can of soda and paid for it at the cashier then left. Our employee did not notice if the female left with him.

Before her shift ended at around 3 a.m., our employee noticed the top of someone’s head between two aisles. She thought it was the woman her last customer was with so she went to where she could see the top of her head.

Our employee realized two things there – 1) it was the woman who came with the male customer, and 2) it was just her head floating between the aisles.

Our employee was understandably disturbed and refused to come back to work the next day.

We have provided the employee with necessary support, including therapy to help her deal with the trauma of experiencing such incident.

A transcript of her statement further describes the male customer to have been wearing a black armband around his right upper arm, indicating that he had just been to a funeral or wake for a departed loved one at the chapel next door.

In view of this detail, we would like to ask our patrons and customers to please refrain from making a stop at our establishment if you just came from a wake when we re-open after this two-week temporary closure.

We understand that this is part of the Filipino custom and belief called “pagpag” to “confuse” or “shake off” spirits that choose to follow visitors from the wake.

However, we believe that this activity, although harmless, has led to our employees experiencing hallucinations which we attribute to their own spiritual beliefs, further compounded by the pressures of working the night shift or other personal sources of stress.

We seek to protect the mental health of our employees who are always willing to serve you.

We are hoping for your cooperation.

Thank you so much.