rapid assessment of the social impacts of - Philippines Development ...

pointed out that customers could not be forced to settle their debts, considering the losses they
had incurred. In affected areas, drivers of public utility vehicles had to stop working for
approximately a week, since their usual routes were not passable due to the flood. An FGD
participant reported not being able to resume her sewing business, as her sewing machine was
submerged in water and was still at the repair shop. Other income opportunities, however,
emerged. Some young men were hired by Tzu Chi Foundation, a Taiwanese faith-based NGO, to
clean houses in affected communities. Some residents have also found alternative sources of
income, such as selling snacks and vitamins to their neighbors and nearby communities.
Lost livelihood and the self-employed
Small businesses and home-based livelihoods, particularly in the two lakeside communities
(e.g., shoemaking, vegetable farming, and fishing) suffered severe losses as a result of Ondoy.
Other affected livelihoods were the “buy and sell” business, sari-sari (variety) stores, eateries,
food stalls or ambulant selling/kiosks, and livestock rearing (pigs). The flood caused by
continuous heavy rains destroyed or washed out critical resources, including physical
Box 3: Vending as a livelihood
Ang hanapbuhay ko po ay nagtitinda ng
DVD, mga salamin, charger sa bangketa . . .
naanod po lahat. ‘Yung mga paninda ko,
‘yung lamesa ko inanod. ‘Yung mga tinda ko
na mga charger, mga DVD, utang pa yun sa
ASA, hindi ko pa nababayaran ‘yun. (I sell
DVD, mirrors, chargers on the sidewalk for
a living. The flood wiped out my
merchandise and my table. [The capital for]
the goods that I sell, such as chargers and
DVDs, was just a loan from ASA [lending
agency]. I have yet to pay that loan.) –
MARIA, 32 YEARS OLD, DOÑA IMELDA
structures, construction equipment, working capital, raw
materials, stocks and goods (Box 3). Those in the rugmaking
business, for instance, could not take advantage of
the high demand for rugs after Ondoy due to the loss of raw
materials. Debts remained unpaid, as goods or services
were not translated into sales. Ambulant street vendors in
WFM lost their carts. Even sari-sari store owners unaffected
by the flood incurred losses, as they could not compete with
the influx of relief goods.
In Malaban (Biñan, Laguna), those making slippers lost their
homes, which also served as their workshops. Some
shoemakers turned their rooftops into workshops. But even
as operations continued for them, sales were low as
potential customers spent whatever money they had on
immediate needs. Vegetable farms were flooded, affecting
the daily subsistence and livelihood of (mostly) female
vegetable vendors. Fisher-folk were slightly better-off, as
Ondoy brought about a large fish harvest. However, these gains were short-lived, as the waters
turned murky after a few days. Those providing services (such as driving public utility vehicles)
could not carry on with their usual economic activities, as there was no or low consumer
demand. A female resident in Maybunga (Pasig) shared that her husband, who operated a “tribike”
school service, lost a week’s income when classes were cancelled.
Changes in livelihood outcomes due to reduced/lost income is the common sentiment of those
engaged in “buy and sell” activities in KV1 (Table 4). For example, a slipper vendor who used to
earn PhP500 to PhP700 daily, or PhP15,000 to PhP21,000 monthly, tended to earn PhP1,800 to
PhP2,400 monthly in the aftermath of Ondoy. To supplement her household income, she began
accepting laundry work which enabled her to earn an additional PhP2,000 per month.
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