Higit Pa Sa Hiniling | Paninindigan

They are just a few of the chicharrón [or fried pork rinds] vendors in Tarlac.

They rush to run whenever buses arrived.

Each has his own strategy how to sell his products quickly.

I said it was really hard.

[I would] sleep at midnight.

It was necessary to wake up early to begin selling early.

And then, while selling [and] waiting for bus,

there’s the dust, smoke from vehicles, and sweat.

That’s really the life of a vendor.

There are times when your knees tremble

due to the combined heat and cold.

And there are also times when you really need to skip a meal.

Sometimes there are no sales at all.

We have no one to turn to for help.

It’s very difficult to be poor.

In this episode of Paninindigan (Resolve),

we will get to know the couple Mervin and Geraldine Maglalang.

How did they face the difficulties of being impoverished

while pursuing their dreams?

More Than What Was Asked For

Resolve

Our situation was truly pitiful back then.

It was really about blood and sweat.

We need to work and double our efforts.

So, you need to have a job [and] to have other sources of income.

I can say that having meals three times a day

was almost impossible.

Mervin grew up facing hardship.

From childhood, he was used to working hard

to support his family.

I’ve always loved selling [products] since I was young.

I used to sell ice candy [and] ice drops.

I remember when I was little, when I woke up in the morning,

grab a sack, and collect bottles back then.

I would save up all of them, and whatever I collected throughout the day,

I would sell them.

My mindset back then was to earn money.

I wasn’t the type to ask my parents for money.

If I wanted to buy something, I really doubled my efforts.

Because he had developed a habit of selling to earn money,

and due to the financial difficulties his family was facing,

he was only able to complete up to first year of high school.

I truly regret it.

Of course, seeing my batchmates who have all graduated

makes me feel a deep sense of regret.

I also tried applying to various companies,

[but] I wasn’t accepted because, first and foremost, [about] the requirements.

You need to be a high school graduate.

I couldn’t show them any [requirements].

I often thought about my regret

for not completing my education.

But despite that, I kept striving in life

to achieve my dreams.

Eventually, he was accepted by a bus company

as a conductor.

I observed the vendors who boarded the bus

while I was still a conductor,

and I studied how they made money.

I looked at the cost,

which was just 20 pesos per item,

and then, when they boarded the bus,

they could sell 50 pieces.

With an investment of 20 pesos per item and selling 50 pieces,

I estimated that they were earning around 600-700 pesos.

The time came when Mervin met Geraldine,

and they promised each other

that they would build their dreams in life together.

Year 2011, on December 29, when sister Gie and I got married.

We really planned and saved for our future together.

It was necessary to wake up early

to begin selling early.

Afterwards, while selling [and] waiting for buses,

there’s the dust, smoke from vehicles, and sweat.

That’s really the life of a vendor.

Like that, you’re exposed to the heat

and then you suddenly have to get on a bus which is a bit cold.

And there were also times when you really need to skip a meal.

Sometimes there were no sales at all.

You have to endure not eating sometimes.

They struggled to stretch Mervin’s earnings

from selling chicharron,

which were often insufficient

to cover their daily needs.

There were also times like that when no one really buys.

But there were also times

when sales were really good.

Sometimes, when he gets on the bus,

it’s our due date for the electricity bill.

I have to wait for him to make a sale

so, we can pay the bill or buy gas if we run out. It’s like that.

It’s really tough.

We haven’t been able to save anything

from his early months of selling.

When he was selling, he gave me a budget of 200 pesos.

I really need to budget it.

Whatever amount brother Mervin will give me, I’ll budget that, for example,

for our dinner, it’s 50 pesos.

I walked to the market to save on tricycle fare

because the fare was 20 pesos for a round trip – 10 each way.

I hesitated to spend that 20 pesos

because it could be added to buy (food).

Of course, it was hard and painful.

At that time, we didn’t have any rice at all.

I tried looking around, hoping I had saved some money somewhere.

I found a plastic bag with some “malagkit” [sticky rice],

about half a kilo.

That was what I asked sister Gie to cook.

I bought five pesos worth of tomatoes

and that became our meal.

The sticky rice we cooked served as our rice.

I saw tears streaming down sister Gie’s face while we were eating.

So, what was on my mind then,

I was still praying that if this is what we have to go through,

we would accept it.

Mervin was not spared from judgmental eyes [of some people].

I remember back then,

there were people who looked down on us,

and you could feel their rudeness towards you.

Maybe they thought that was our only situation.

I also experienced this on the bus,

with the passengers.

There were times when people would look at you from head to toe

as if they thought that we were insignificant at all.

But I didn’t feel hurt by it.

I became more accustomed on how to interact with people.

Those moments made me more determined to improve my life,

seeing my situation back then.

It made me work even harder and be more patient

because I wanted to show that one day,

I would achieve all my dreams.

Despite everything,

there was one event in the life of the couple

that they recognized this

as the beginning of their success in life.

It all started when we were baptized

in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ).

During those times,

I strived harder in life.

When we came to know the Church Of Christ,

that’s when our faith started

to have trust in God, [and] that only our Father would truly help us.

Our mindset when we joined the Church Of Christ

was to always think positive.

Because there’s no one else we can turn to

in times of hardship but [only] God.

Coupled that with hard work, perseverance, and genuine service.

I only had a capital of one thousand pesos,

which I used to buy goods for selling every day.

And then, any excess from that was given to sister Gie.

My capital remains, it just stays there.

Then, little by little, we were able to save up.

I managed to convince one vendor

to get his goods from me on a daily basis.

Eventually, sister Gie and I were able to save up again.

I then convinced another vendor

if he could also get his goods from me for his daily sales.

Until such time, I was able to convince three vendors

to get their goods from me.

Until almost all of them got their goods from me.

And I became a chicharrón distributor.

But, even though I became a chicharron distributor to my colleagues,

I still continued to sell

because the daily earnings from selling were still valuable to me.

After all, the handling of the distribution

was being managed by sister Gie.

From the savings sister Gie and I accumulated from selling chicharrón

since the beginning up to the present,

that’s where we got the vehicle we bought.

It was a blessing from God that we were able to acquire it.

And that became the start of our [new] business,

in the car rental.

Although they were beginning to feel some relief,

but the couple understood that they still couldn’t avoid

facing various challenges in life.

At first, we weren’t the ones handling the bookings.

We had an acquaintance who suggested

that we let him handle the rental of our vehicles.

Until such time, sister Gie and I decided to took back our vehicles,

and we were even encouraged to add another vehicle.

Until, we had three vehicles.

Although we weren’t booking directly at that time,

but we still faced intense trials.

It turned out that the person managing the rentals encountered problems

about those who rented [vehicles] from him, and we didn’t get paid also.

The couple faced a new trial during the pandemic.

Sister Gie and I had COVID,

and we had reached to the point of almost losing hope

especially for me because I was the one hospitalized.

Here in Tarlac, there was only one hospital left

that we had not yet visited.

Four hospitals had already refused me

because they were full, with no vacancies.

Now, there was only one hospital left that we hadn’t gone to.

We also took a chance.

I asked sister Gie to call the nurse

and then requested, if it was possible,

to speak with whoever was in charge.

After a prayer, we waited downstairs for about 20 to 30 minutes

while I just sat there.

It was really severe [that] I really couldn’t lean back

[and] I couldn’t sit anymore.

My uncle and my spouse were just providing support for me.

I thought to myself, “This might be it. It feels like I’m at the brink of death.”

So, during that time, [this] I continued to pray,

“As much as possible, Father, please give me another chance.”

“And You are the one who truly knows the contents of my heart.”

“I really want to continue serving You.”

“I still want to help in the work of propagation of the Church.”

During that time, the doctor came down and asked me what I needed.

I requested to be given first aid.

And the doctor told me that there were no vacant [beds].

But I told them, if they could at least provide first aid where I was sitting,

even if it meant temporary oxygen or any immediate [treatment].

My request was granted for just one hour.

That was the time, they gave me oxygen, and I was able to breathe more easily.

So, after an hour, the doctor spoke to me again

and said that we needed to go home

because we really couldn’t stay at that hospital.

We really had no place left to go.

After that, Mervin’s condition improved,

and his recovery was swift.

However, during that same time,

when others’ livelihood declined,

the life of the married couple has significantly improved.

During the pandemic, there was no transportation—

no buses, motorcycles, or any vehicles for people to use.

That’s where we were able to recover.

Sister Gie and I decided to rent out our own vehicles,

and the bank even gave us a two-month grace period

where we didn’t have to make payments,

which they added to the end of our loan term.

Because of that, the [car] rental income from those days,

sister Gie and I were able to save.

Until now, we handle about first 50 vehicles,

with more than 20 of them being our own.

Sister Gie and I have several sidelines,

and we’ve accumulated quite a few.

We have several sources of [extra] income,

including a car wash station.

Also, we were able to acquire

more equipment and property.

Naturally, this made our lives much easier.

When the couple reflects

on the hardship they faced at the beginning,

they could not fully imagine

that they’ve reached a comfortable life

and experienced consecutive successes.

A simple chicharrón vendor from the past

is now truly successful.

The couple also took us to their former residence.

Now that we’ve returned here,

we feel happy reminiscing about our experiences while living here.

Despite the hardships, life was joyful.

We are deeply grateful for all the blessings we have now.

First and foremost, we thank God, as everything comes from Him.

God only lent us whatever possession we now have.

Although their past was filled with bitterness

but the Lord turned it around

and allowed the couple to experience

the sweetness of gradually reaching their dreams.

It feels so wonderful,

reflecting on how far we’ve come from our humble beginnings

to where we are now.

As God blessed us with what we now cherish,

it brings unparalleled happiness.

When I pray to God,

I am really overwhelmed with gratitude.

I really can’t help but shed tears of joy and happiness.

For all the goodness God has bestowed upon us as a couple,

we truly would not have reached this point

if not really for the Lord God.

Despite the significant changes in the lives of the couple,

they [truly] remained humble.

They maintained good relations with others

and kept their hands open

to help those in need.

They are [so] kind

and really engage well with everyone in the subdivision.

All of us [and] whenever there are activities here, we are always invited.

That’s always how it is. Whether personal or related to money matters,

they are always approachable.

I have nothing but praise for how they treat us,

especially when we are ill.

They are quick to help with medical care.

Then, when we need something, they are always approachable.

We are treated like family here at work.

I have nothing but praise for brother Mervin and sister Gie.

They are truly kind.

They lead us in [our] prayers

and offer advices for our well-being.

During the time when I was unemployed

and facing life’s difficulties,

brother Mervin was the one who gave me

the opportunity to have this kind of job.

He provided me with the initial capital

to start selling on the bus.

He told me to use it,

and he became an inspiration to me.

Due to their enthusiasm for various activities in the Church Of Christ,

especially in spreading God’s word,

they had many converts who received baptism.

Among them are former chicharron vendors they knew,

friends, loved ones,

and especially the parents of brother Mervin.

On the day he invited me to join the Church Of Christ,

I noticed and saw his sacrifices

since he became a member of the Church Of Christ.

He has really changed a lot.

Everything really improved for him.

Brother Mervin invited us to the Church Of Christ,

[and] we were baptized.

The couple sets a good example

for those with responsibilities and their fellow brethren.

Despite their busy work schedules

and responsibilities at home,

they always make time to help with activities [of the Church].

Brother Mervin and sister Geraldine’s deepest desire

is to continually fulfill the sacred duties

they have sworn to our Lord God.

My most valuable treasures

are our duties and our faith.

Everything comes from Him, and we have asked Him for everything.

Even now, He guides us and our business.

I always pray for His guidance in our livelihood.

Whenever He blesses us,

I always promise Him

that we will never get tired of using these blessings for our duties,

for propagation [of His words], for missionary [activities],

and above all, for [our] offerings to Him,

because everything comes from Him.

Until the end, we will fulfill our duties.

We will [continue] until the end of our lives.

We are [proud] members of the Church Of Christ.

Whatever possessions that we have now

is merely an additional [to us].

Above all, as our greatest aspiration as a couple,

first and foremost, our family is complete— along with our loved ones,

relatives, friends, and those dear to our hearts—

is to reach the Holy City because there is where [our] true treasure is,

which we, as a couple, desire the most.

That’s why, our promise to God

is that as long as He gives us life and strength,

and as long as we are able to walk,

we will fulfill the duties He has given us.

We will wear our uniform [with pride]

in fulfilling our duties until we grow old.

Even if, my spouse and I, reach that old age,

but [deep] in our hearts and feelings,

all the things that God has given us, we will never forget them ever.

As long as we live, we will be grateful for everything that we have.

And for the strength and life that God provides us,

we will always be thankful to our Lord God.

Whatever we achieved in this life,

the most valuable thing is

our membership in the Church Of Christ,

because this is where we will be saved when the time comes.

There in the Holy City that God has promised us.