One More Day with Pipa
Nanay Pipa Busara is an online seller and a Marawi siege survivor from Barangay Sagonsongan, Marawi City. She started selling online even before the siege and continues to do so even during this pandemic.
“1:30pm. May 23. Hindi ko makakalimutan yun. Nasa pharamcy ako ng pinsan ko kasi yun yung pick up and drop off point ng mga tinda ko. Biglang naging ghost town yung City. Nagsimula yung putukan at bombahan ng 3pm. Madali kaming lahat umalis”, she narrated.
(1:30pm. May 23. I will never forget that date. I was in my cousin’s pharmacy because that’s where I have the pick-ups and drop off of my items. Suddenly Marawi City became a ghost town. The shootings and bombings started around 3pm and we had to evacuate immediately.)
For six months they lived with her sister outside Lake Lanao. She also became a volunteer to help others most especially those who lost their livelihood and loved ones.
“Tumibay yung pananampalataya ko. Hindi na lang ako nagdadasal para sa sarili ko. Nakita ko talaga yung mga naghihirap. Yung nawalan ng asawa, kapatid at hanap-buhay. Before the siege hindi ako paladasal. Simula noon halos limang beses araw-araw na ako nagdadasal. Dapat may baon ka sa afterlife pagkatapos mo dito sa mundo. Hindi naman puwedeng lugi ka na nga dito, lugi ka pa sa kabilang buhay”, she said.
(My faith became stronger because of what happened. Now, I pray not only for myself but for others as well. I really saw how devastated some people became. There are those who lost their husband and wives, brothers and sisters and their livelihood. I never really prayed that much before the siege. After that, I pray five times a day. You have to bring something to the afterlife when you pass on. You need prayers to enrich you when you go to the other side)
ASA helped her to get her back on her feet in her online business. She used the capital to acquire more products but only the fast moving ones. She used to only sell RTW after the siege and added food because of the Covid 19 lockdowns.
“Dapat ready ka sa gusto ng buyer mo. Kung gusto niya ng red blouse, ibibigay mo yung pinakamandang red blouse. Kung gusto niya ng masarap na ginataan, bibigyan mo siya ng pinaka masarap na ginataan. Mas masaya magbenta pag naniniwala kang pinaka maganda ang paninda mo.”
(You always have to be ready for your buyer’s needs. If she wants a red blouse then give her the most beautiful red blouse. If she wants ginataan (hot dessert with coconut), then serve her with the best ginataan. It’s more fun to sell stuff if you believe that what you sell is the best of them all.)