Aside from the constant threat to our health, COVID-19 has tested a person's limits in many ways and forced us to come to terms with the word "agile."
In Filipino, agility can mean mabilis, masigla, or maliksi — quick, enthusiastic, and flexible. These words describe what it means to survive these days financially.
Ely Feria, a seafarer for 27 years from Kawit, Cavite, got to know these words pretty well (scroll down to watch his story). After he was forced to stay home in the Philippines because of the pandemic, he needed to find a new income source where he can stay put on land, so to speak.
The answer came from his wife, Sheila, who reminded him that maybe it was time to finally pursue gardening, something he always wanted to do when he was a seaman. As a vote of confidence probably, Sheila gave Ely P5,000, which she saved up from selling clothes and fruits online.
The irony of his wife giving him the money was likely not lost on Ely — it motivated him to succeed, no doubt. He used it to make cement pots, but he eventually expanded his venture into selling plants.
In a couple of months, Ely managed to turn that P5,000 capital into P10,000 a week by selling his cement pots, plants, and fruits. It doesn't match his income as a seaman, but he knows he is fortunate to have money coming in. And the fact that his wife and two kids are working alongside him — their version of family bonding — is the bonus he never expected but is happy to receive.
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