Despite the midday heat, Rodrigo, a jeepney driver, fixes the tire of his jeepney after noticing a problem in moving its steering wheel, at Villa Alexandra 1, Barangay Estefania. "Budlay gid mag biyahe subong. Amo na kung may gamay nga problema kay-uhon dayon kay mas budlay hindi ka biyahe” he shares. Earning became a struggle for jeepney drivers after reducing the allowed passengers riding these vehicles - a precautionary measure made to combat the virus. Jackilyn Alingasa, a housekeeper, is doing the laundry early in the morning inside a residence in Barangay Estefania. Since the pandemic started, housekeepers, among other jobs, also had a hard time going back into their houses because of the fear in getting the virus on their way home that may put their families in danger. Jackilyn is one of the housekeepers that has the same fears but what she fears the most is seeing her family starve in hunger if she comes home without a job. A group of construction workers are taking a quick break around 9 am before starting with their actual work at the construction site located at Villa Alexandra 1, Barangay Estefania. Despite the low salary that every construction worker receive, plus the heat, sweat, dirt and rain they deal with almost every day, they always choose to endure it all to survive the pandemic. Early in the morning, a couple sells to a loyal customer different kind of perishable goods, fruits, and vegetables with their own private tricycle inside a subdivision at Barangay Estefania. At sunrise, they prepare and drive to different subdivisions where their loyal customers live which makes selling easier for them and lessens their gas expense. The pandemic did not only cause negative effects on people but also made them innovative and wise in terms of making money for a living. A group of people observes social distancing while lining up at the establishments' entrances, in Bacolod City around afternoon. Because of the new normal policies, people are strictly obliged to wear face masks and face shields at all times when they are out of their houses. Additionally, BaCTrac, an app that provides QR codes for efficient contact tracing of each individual in the city, is now required and to be scanned before entering any establishments. A man smiling behind his mask as he shows the papayas he sells in his stall, during afternoon, near the New Government Center of Bacolod. Despite of no buyers around, he still manages to give a smile to strangers he meets. Bacolodnons are known for their smiling faces and positivity in terms of handling difficulties and circumstances in life, and this man is one of those people who approach life with positivity amidst the struggle of earning each day. A number of pedicabs wait for passengers under the afternoon heat at the Libertad Public Market. After the pandemic begun, the income of pedicab drivers mostly decreased as it became harder to find passengers due to a low number of people going out in the public. During midday at the New Government Center, a woman that sells different kinds of street food and drinks, sits beside her mini van to shield herself from the harsh heat of the afternoon. She, among other vendors in the area, waits for customers to buy from them and hoping to take home a good earning from what they sell to their families. A group of garbage collectors collects all the garbages in each house at Villa Alexandra 1 Subdivision, Barangay Estefania, every Tuesday and Friday morning. They maintain the sanitation of the community despite the struggle of dealing with the smell and dirt. A security guard watches the residences coming in and out in a subdivision at Barangay Estefania. The security guards of this subdivision do shifting and are on duty for 24 hours to ensure the security of the people living in the area.
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Fifty year old fish vendor weighs his produce for a frequent customer. He has been selling for 20 years, and became one of the sources for fish supply for some households in Barangay Villamonte especially during the quarantine. A street food vendor cooks her customer's order and enduringly sells for hours to make good sales for the day. Until dusk, a food cart still waits for a buyer despite the lack of customers due to the pandemic. Every four o'clock in the afternoon, this street vendor positioned himself at his usual spot in one of the corners of Ylac Avenue in Barangay Villamonte to sell Filipino street foods such steamed peanuts and Balot (Duck Embryo) for over a decade. Amidst the pandemic, he perseveres to make a sale for his family. Fifty year old Winston Montebon, an inasal vendor, grills the orders of his first customer for the day. "Wala gaka ubos, taas pa dayon ang capital" he shares his business' difficulty in getting a good sale. Winston is one of the many vendors whose businesses were affected by the pandemic. A vendor waits outside a bakery store in Barangay Villamonte for potential customers to sell his dried fish. The ongoing pandemic has lessen the sales of the small scale vendors as some of their customers prefer to buy from online markets. Fruit vendors selling variety of fruits in a stall and citrus packed for retail selling in sidewalks. Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons were in demand to consumers during pandemic to help them strengthen their immune system. Storekeepers entertain themselves by watching videos in their phone while waiting for customers to drop by in their fruit stand.
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