If there’s one thing the whole world admires about Filipinos, it is “resiliency.” Year in and year out, calamities and disasters brought about by typhoons continue to batter the archipelago like clockwork.
It is as if many Filipinos will think there is something abnormal if these weather disturbances are not experienced.
And then came the COVID-19 pandemic, but despite these difficult situations that confront the nation, it did not in any way drown the fighting spirit of Filipinos. Ordinary citizens, or even those engaged in business, particularly Pinay micro-entrepreneurs, have shown tremendous grit and determination to survive and succeed despite limited adverse situations, made worse by financial troubles.
One of these tough women is Marianne Andrada, whose family not only suffered from the effects of the pandemic but they were also among the thousands of Filipinos who experienced the devastation of typhoon Ulysses last year. On top of this, she also lost her mother amid these back-to-back setbacks.
She lives in one of the flood-prone areas in Marikina City. Moving into a higher and better place is not an option since they have already invested in their current dwelling. Having lost a mother and having to take care of the family during these trying times, Marianne knows she needs to be strong.
“Patong-patong po talaga. Ngayon pa lang po makakamove-on,” Marianne told Frontpageph.com. She recalls that their sari-sari store, which has been running for around 12 years now as their main source of income, did not escape the adverse effects of the pandemic. Their income from the store went down by half.
“Hanggang ngayon naman, mahirap…halos wala kami makain. Nag-aantay lang kami ng donasyon ng gobyerno. Kasi wala ring trabaho ‘yung isa, tapos ito lang yung tindahan na inaasahan namin tapos bumaba pa ‘yung kita. Tipid na tipid kami sa araw-araw,” she added.
One good decision that Marianne made, looking back after all that happened, was that she kept the loading business at their sari-sari store, which kept their small sari-sari store running even during the pandemic and helped their livelihood. “Malaking tulong po. Pandagdag kita rin po sa tindahan namin. Malaking dagdag siya sa pang-araw-araw, [maraming] nagpapaload. Kailangan po kasi yan. Kumbaga, kasama na sa buhay ng tao. Hindi na ‘yan luho.”
For about two decades now, Globe has been providing sari-sari store owners like Marianne additional sources of income from its various products such as Globe Prepaid and TM SIM cards, prepaid load cards, and Globe Load.
“Siya [Globe] rin po ‘yung nagpaahon sa amin sa pandemya. Sa kinasadlakan naming bagyo no’ng nakaraan, dahil ‘yan ang pangangailangan ng tao noon. Nakatulong para maging extra income rin po,” she added.
Despite the adversities which she faced, Marianne remains an epitome of a changed woman who remains strong and motivated. “Maging positive lang sa buhay. [Hu]wag susuko. Wag magpadala sa problema. Diskarte ’yun. Pilipino tayo e. Hindi tayo basta-basta susuko. Laban lang, lalo na tayong mga Pinay,” she said.
This National Women’s Month, Globe recognizes these efforts put forth by women such as Marianne, who chose to fight and win life’s different battles.
“We salute these resilient women micro-entrepreneurs who do not allow hardships to put them down. That is why Globe continues to support them through our load retail business so they in turn, can assist their family,” explains Bernie Llamzon, Globe Executive Vice President for Channel Management, to Frontpageph.com.
At least 280 retailers from 62 cities and municipalities in eight areas devastated by Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses last year benefitted from Globe’s Community Development program. They were provided with livelihood opportunities through a retailer package, which includes an LTE phone, SIM starter kit, and initial Php1000 load.
Globe supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), specifically UN SDG No. 8 which calls for Decent Work and Economic Growth; and No. 9 which emphasizes the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.