Tags: Entrepreneurship, Wholesale and Retail
By Anna Valmero
SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA – The three-day All Souls’ Day weekend spelled livelihood for a lot of enterprising Filipinos looking to earn extra income by selling candles, flowers and even offering services such as repainting tombstones.
Arjay, a 12-year-old ice cream vendor, said he took the time to sell at the Saint Joseph Cemetery here but according to him, heavy rainfall in the morning, which ordinarily causes traffic, have discouraged families from visiting.
“Mas mahina po ngayon ang benta kasi siguro mas konti lang ang tao ngayon kesa dati na dagsa talaga mula umaga hanggang hapon (Sales this year were not as big last year when crowds of families and visitors arrive from morning until afternoon),” said Rico, a resident of Muntinlupa and also “buko salad” vendor.
After visiting the graves of his departed loved ones last Monday, he then made his rounds at the Angel’s Garden Cemetery and St. Joseph Cemetery.
“Matumal ang benta pero ayos lang naman, ganyan talaga sa business. Siguro din dahil hindi masyadong mainit gawa ng ulan kasi kung mainit tulad nung isang taon, dapat nangalahati na ako sa dala ko (Business was not as good last year, maybe because it’s not as hot now because of the rains. Normally, I would have sold half of my items by now),” he told me.
Most vendors I talked to also said they had to lower their prices to sell their items.
Virginia, a candle vendor, pointed to the unsold candles on her table. “Binabaan ko na nga yung presyo para maubos kasi konti lang ang nabili eh lampas tanghali na , five pesos na lang ang tubo ko sa bawat isang kandila (I’ve only sold a few candles so far and it’s already past noon. For each item I will only earn a profit of P5 ),” she said.
Arvin, a resident of nearby Landayan village, has been carrying a 2.5 liter can of white paint since Thursday, offering to repaint tombstones. He charges between 10 to 100 pesos, depending on the size of the area to be painted.
“Binili ko itong pintura ng P480 tapos simula noong (Oktubre) 30 pa ako nandito para magpintura. Antayan lang kasi ngayon talaga ang buhos ng tao (I bought this can of paint for 480 pesos and I have been here since October 30, repainting tombstones. It just takes patience because November 1 is the day when most families will visit the cemeteries),” he said.
Arvin said that he earned about 200 pesos a day. When I met him last Monday, he said he already earned 250 pesos.
Street food vendors remain commonplace in cemeteries like Adelaida, who sold fishballs, squid balls and kwek-kwek (chicken or quail egg rolled into orange flour and deep fried).
“Okay naman ang benta kahit hindi kasinglakas ng dati, sa business kasi dapat pipili ka ng mabenta tulad ng pagkain (Business is good so far although not as good as last year. Food is always a safe business this time of the year),” she said.
Meanwhile, bringing home-cooked food is an annual tradition for Concepcion Tubalinal and her daughter Herminia when visiting their departed loved ones.
“Taon-taon nagluluto ako ng biko (kakanin) at umba kasi ito yung paborito niya. Parang kapag kinain mo yung pagkain, pag-alaala yun sa kanya (I always cook biko and umba because this is my late husband’s favorites. When we partake of the food here, it is like a way of remembering him),” said Concepcion, a widow of 18 years now.
She added that bringing their own food instead of buying those sold at the cemetery saves them from spending money.
A sari-sari store owner herself, Concepcion said she made a conscious choice not to sell food items herself during All Souls’ Day as her way of paying respect to the dead.
“I only get to visit them once a year so I’d rather spend my time here together with my family, offering a prayer before we head home.”
Advertising Agribusiness Agriculture Airline Industry Aquaculture Automobiles Banking Car Accessories consumer elec Consumer Electronics Consumer Goods and Concerns Cooperatives Cottage Industries Death Entrepreneurship Filipinos Abroad Food Establishments Groceries and Shopping Centers Handicraft Handicrafts hardware Hardware Solutions Horticulture Internet Livelihood Programs Malls Mass Media and Communications Mobile Phone Industry OFWs Outsourcing Real Estate Software Solutions technology Technology Industry teleco Telecommunications Tourism Transportation Vermiculture Wholesale and Retail
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
