Part 2: Vendors, Vendors

Dell H. Grecia
Women's Journal


C. Broom-Maker

Jenny Linsangan, a mother of three, makes broom bamboo and sells them house to house. She learned broom-making from her neighbors at the Malaria Control Center in Caloocan. She is one of two dozen broom-making in her barangay. She sells her products in Quezon City, specifically in Lagro. Aside from the common walis tambo, Jenny also sells long-stemmed brooms for cleaning the ceiling.

For three years now, Jenny has been augmenting her husband’s earnings as a mason. She easily earns P200 in a day. Her brooms, she asserts, can compare, in terms of quality and durability, with those made in Baguio - except her brooms are cheaper, of course.

D. Tinobong Vendor

Tinobong, a rice cake delicacy cooked in bamboo, is a specialty of the Ilocos region. A big one costs P15, while the smaller one, P10. All you have to do is heat the cake for a few minutes, then the crack bottom part, to sample the tasty morsel inside.

Tourists and balikbayans love this native treat. It has a shelf life of three days on the average.

Child Vendors

In the old days, it wasn’t called child labor abuse. In fact, children in the provinces were expected to help out in the farm. They learned a lot by helping their parents in their work- whether it was in the ricefields or in the market. It was certainly a lot better than forcing kids to beg or sell sampaguita and rags in the city streets.

In Chinese-owned stores, we also see the younger generation helping out their parents in the family business. In the process, these children learn the ropes: how to compute, weigh, wrap, label and check the inventory. That is definitely a lot more productive than spending the entire day in front of the television.

I myself was a vendor - selling our farm’s produce like alugbati, cucurbits, and tomatoes. I also sold duhat and siniguelas when they were in season. I hawked peanuts and native delicacies made from peanuts. Being a vendor helped me earn a decent living. As such, my parents didn’t have to worry about my tuition fee. Because of my vending, I had enough savings for school.

These childhood lessons helped me tremendously - giving me the discipline I needed to finish my college degree.~ ~