This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 13, May 7-13, 2006
Selling Goods to Survive They
used to work as contractual or casual employees. Unable to find stable jobs,
they turn to peddling goods to survive.
By Trina Federis They were at the Labor Day
rally at Liwasang Bonifacio, and even marched with the workers trying to get to
Mendiola. But the street vendors were there mainly to earn their keep.
Danny Delfin, 39, runs a small
kiosk selling candies, snacks, and cold drinks at Liwasang Bonifacio. He has
been doing this for the past year. He used to be a postman for
the Manila Post Office. Delfin was just a casual employee so when his contract
expired and found himself without a job, he ventured into food vending.
He used to buy his
mid-afternoon snacks from the vendors in front of the post office, which gave
him the idea of becoming a vendor too. When asked how his business
is going, he said: “Minsan malakas” (Sometimes, I make a lot of sales).
“Pero di pa rin kasya sa pamilya” (But it’s still not enough for a family
to live on), referring to his four-member household. What’s good about being
self-employed is that there’s no salary to worry about, no income tax to pay.
The only thing that dips into his profits is a policeman’s hand. “Siyempre, para hindi ka
mapalayas dito. Kailangan mo maglagay. Kasi ano raw e, illegal ito,
kasi walang permit, walang tax. (Of course, it’s so that you can
keep on selling here. You have to bribe them. They say my business is illegal,
because I have no permit, I don’t pay taxes.)” He says life is so hard but
this is his only means to earn money. He considers himself as part of the
“lowest in society.” He sees no hope in his
current condition, unless he works abroad. “Abroad na lang, dito sa
Pilipinas walang mangyayari” (I’d rather work abroad. Nothing will happen
if I continue working here in the Philippines), he says. Jerome, 22, is an ambulant
buco vendor. Though he has to generate his own capital, he’d rather work
for himself than for others, he said. Jerome used to work for a
company in Laguna that delivers tiles. He wasn’t a permanent employee, and was
frequently reprimanded because of arguments with his superiors. He had
disagreements with them because of the low salary, and its delayed payment, he
says. He decided to leave the
company. Now, he peddles wherever
his feet take him. He went to Liwasang Bonifacio because he knew he would make a
lot of sales during the Labor Day rally. He learned about the rally from
acquaintances, as well as from news on TV. He will not return to being
an employee. Though he admits that this is the only thing he can do to earn
money, he’d rather have this than fulfill a lot of requirements for a company
that does not pay well. Most vendors at rallies may
not be organized, but their issues – low wages, job insecurity – are certainly
the same ones militant workers are struggling to resolve. Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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