From George Romero's cult classic "Night of the Living Dead", to the Resident Evil videogames and movies, to "Plants vs. Zombies", to the Philippines' own "Zombadings", zombies certainly have become part of pop culture.
In the spirit of Halloween, we posed this question to our readers on Yahoo! Philippines Answers: "What will you do to survive a zombie infestation in the Philippines?"
We asked; here's what you answered.
"The best place to start is to be in the mall. The mall has a large amount of supplies that can last for months if used properly and there are so many places to barricade yourself in. Some malls have outdoorsman stores where you can supply yourself with guns and ammo. Most gun stores at the mall are supplied from small caliber pistols to shotguns, and some even have their resupply area where you can make the ammo yourself. And the hardware store is the best place to keep the zombies at bay by making traps by using lawn mowers, saws and any sharp objects. A supermarket cant be gutted down in a jiffy so there is always a chance to have a good supply of food. Last but not least is a getaway vehicle packed with all the sharp objects you found on the hardware store and placed in vital areas of the car making it a 'vehicle of pain' where no zombie can touch you while on the move to the next mall. And friends, survivors etc. are supposed to be important; don't let the usual Philippine crab mentality spell the end of you. Prove yourselves worthy and work together for the survival of the human race.
"TL;DR think like Mc Gyver and stay in the mall," said Yahoo! Philippines Answers user M4rderIII.
"If ever that happens, I will immediately bring my family and close friends to the nearest mall. Break in and use the mall's facilities to survive until rescue comes. This is because the mall (for me) is the safest place to stay. The mall's security system will help me closely monitor the zombies that will enter the place; the food in the mall's grocery will help me, my family and my friends survive. Other shops inside the mall are also useful in fighting against zombies and a great chance of survival is surely attainable in this situation. Almost everything you need to survive can be found inside the mall that is why it's a good hiding place," said Dimple.
Here's what benjaminm had to say.
"As we all know, the Philippines has a very huge population, so, what I will do is I will try to gather those people who are not yet infected by the zombie virus and create a civilian army against the zombie population. Make a huge camp filled with lots and lots of ammunition, food, medicine and clothing and have everybody well trained on how to combat the zombies. Then, start the all-out-war against the zombies and save the country and start a brand new life....God speed everybody! Happy Halloween!"
For B.A.C., real-time information is key. "The first thing I will do is go to the net or to a news channel/station and wait for the authorities' instruction on what is the best thing to do to protect yourself. A laptop or cell phone or transistor radio is what I will also bring with me to be always in touch with what's happening outside. Don't forget the chargers."
"Join three badass people and fight our way out to a safe haven with bats, axes, chainsaws and mounted guns. Then make a game based on it and earn a couple billion dollars," said jectolentino.
Wiz Khalafati had a different strategy based on an Internet meme: "All I need is Chuck Norris. If the zombies saw Chuck Norris they will automatically die."
Here's lawrence_of_arabia's "political" solution: "I will lure them into Batasang Pambansa. They can't survive the big crocodiles in there."
This is what Bread had to say: "Hahaha. With almost all under poverty I don't think they will last long. They would be eaten. Hehehe."
Meanwhile, rel_aks_ln offered arguably the most interesting solution: "I will go with Gloria Arroyo. No one outsmarts her when it comes to being safe."
How about you, how will you survive the zombie apocalypse in the Philippines? Post your comments and have a Happy Halloween, everyone!
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Joey Alarilla is the Southeast Asia Head of Social and Community of Yahoo! Southeast Asia. Visit his personal blog at JoeyAlarilla.com and follow him on Twitter: @joeyalarilla
