MANILA, Philippines — Undaunted by the threat of contracting coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Jopet Villanueva would tirelessly walk around the streets of Pasay City to find money so he could feed his two children.
Jopet Villanueva (Photo by Cathrine Gonzales, INQUIRER.net)
There wasn’t that much to go by even before the enhanced community quarantine was in effect, but after over a month with no source of funds, he knew that he had to find a way to rise above the crisis brought about by the pandemic, even if it would mean tired bones and calloused feet.
He was a Commerce graduate but no company would accept him because of his disability — a limb defect that left him without a right forearm. Despite this, he was eager to find a source of income for his family. He then studied to become a technician under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Some days he would knock door to door until 7pm to sell gadgets that he had fixed, being a skilled technician prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Other days, he would wake up at 5:30 in the morning to assist fish vendors in markets in exchange for some fish to tide them over for the day.
But no matter the odd hours or jobs, just seeing his children, aged 8 and 11, eating the food he had toiled so hard for takes away the exhaustion brought by his long hours of work.
“Masarap ‘yung maghanap-buhay ka sa maghapon tapos kahit na pagod na pagod ka na, tapos mauupo ka lang na nakahanda na ‘yung pagkain tapos makikita mong kumakain ‘yung dalawang anak mo. Napakasarap ng pakiramdam na kada subo nila, nakikita mo ‘yung pinaghirapan mo pero nakangiti sila,” the 35-year-old single parent said in an interview with INQUIRER.net Thursday.
(It feels good to have worked the whole day, and even if you’re dog-tired, and then you will see your two children happily having their meal. It feels good to see that in every bite they take, you are seeing the fruit of your hard work.)
Jopet’s wife died a few years back. His family rents a small unit in Pasay City for P2,500 a month, but water service has been cut off after he failed to pay off their bills.
He shared how tough it was to sustain the needs of his household especially during the quarantine, but somehow, they managed to survive.
There were times when he would knock on the doors of strangers to sell his second-hand gadgets, but would be turned away or ignored even before he said something.
“Minsan nakakakita ako ng sobrang matapobre, ‘yung pagkatok ko pa lang papaalisin ka na. Naranasan ko na po ‘yung ganun (Sometimes, I encounter rude people who will shun me as I knock on their doors),” he shared.
But sometimes, help would come.
He would buy defective gadgets so he could fix them then sell them at a higher price. Some good Samaritans would also give him their broken gadgets in exchange for him fixing their defective appliances at home. When INQUIRER.net spotted him, he was selling a tablet, power bank, and keypad cellphone for only P1,500.
He would earn P200 to P300 a day, but Jopet said this is really not enough for a family of three.
“Pinipilit ko po na magtrabaho kahit na magutom ako, wag lang ‘yung dalawang anak ko. Mura pa ‘yung mga katawan nila, natatakot akong magkasakit sila. Kahit ako na lang, okay lang po ‘yun,” he said.
(I force myself to work even if I go hungry, just so my two children won’t go hungry. They are still young, I am afraid they might be sick. It’s okay if I will be the one to get sick instead of them.)
“‘Yung ginagawa ko, halos namamalimos na ako para lang makapag-aral sila. Pipilitin ko ‘yun kasi ako ‘yung dahilan kaya nabuhay sila. Dapat panindigan ko ‘yung responsibilidad na ‘yun… Mahal ko kasi yung dalawang anak ko. Hindi ko sila pwedeng pabayaan,” he added.
(I am almost begging by what I am doing just so they can go to school. I will continue to work for them because I am the reason why they were born. I should stand by that responsibility… I love my two children. I cannot just abandon them.)
But how does one cope with the crisis? Jopet, who had so little but so much faith, said: “prayer.”