ILOILO City – The five-day closure of cemeteries would be a challenge, according to ambulant vendors.
The period from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 would have been their “prime” days to earn, said Flordeleza Regalado of Barangay Oñate de Leon, Mandurriao district.
Regalado has been selling candles, candies and food for over 30 years outside the Mandurriao public cemetery.
“Wala ‘ta mahimu. Masira na lang kami,” Regalado told Panay News.
Yesterday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases ordered the closure to stem coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission.
People have started visiting their departed loved ones in cemeteries, but “tuman pa kalaka,” Regado noted.
“Pigado gid. Makabenta kami sang P500 sa isa ka adlaw pero laka lang. Kis-a wala gani da nagakalab-ot,” she said.
According to Regalado, the P300 to P500 income per day cannot meet the daily needs of her family.
The closure will put more hardships on the vendors already reeling from the pandemic, according to Regalado.
Before the pandemic, Regalado said their daily income reached as high as P3,000.
Regalado’s niece Christine has the same sentiment.
She has been selling candles, coffee, and food in the Madurriao public market for 10 years now. Christine earns an average of P500 daily, but “kis-a pa-timing-timing man.”
According to Christine, her meager income is not enough for their daily household expenses.
“Pigado man,” Lilibeth Agpaho, also a candle vendor, shared to Panay News.
“Depende man sa customer kag damo man nagabaligya. May adlaw nga wala gid benta,” added Agpaho.
She can earn P200 to P300 daily.
“Maayo na lang ‘ni sang sa wala ako obra,” Agpaho said.
Richard of Barangay Poblacion, Molo district agreed.
Richard was the caretaker of his mother’s post outside the Molo public cemetery. Their income is very meager on weekdays, but they recover on weekends.
“Indi pareho sang una nga pagka-October damo gid ‘ya tawo. Subong wala, laka-laka gid,” Richard said.
In a day, Richard can earn P500, but minus the capital, his expected return would be just P200.
Since the pandemic started, Richard has not been able to earn more than P1,500, unlike in previous years’ P3,000 per day ahead of “Undas.”/PN
