Kakanin vendor’s quick nap captures the struggle of earning a living

“Natutulog habang nagtitinda… Ang hirap kumita ng pera…” Fernandez captioned the video.

Fernandez had shared the struggles of running her own kakanin stall a few days earlier. In a post from October 29, she uploaded her daily sales goals for the Undas weekend to break even, which ranged from 10 to 50 kilos of bibingka and 5 to 30 kilos of tupig.

“Ito lang naman ‘yung inilalambing ko sa Ama,” she said in the post.

Netizens were quick to express sympathy with the vendors, lamenting the hardships of making a decent living through small businesses.

“Grabe ang hirap ng ganito ah. More benta and blessings kay tatay. Pero sana unahin pa rin po magpahinga,” said one Threads user.

Another commenter shared a similar experience with their own parent, who used to be a vendor. “Naalala ko papa ko sa bangketa din nagtitinda. Inaantok antok din sya nun. Tumatawa lang ako para maging light lang pero deep inside naawa ako,” they said.

The struggles faced by small businesses underscore the need for support measures, including government assistance and subsidies, as consumer spending weakens and operating costs rise.