This Filipino is VERY Resilient

Everyone hears about how resilient Filipinos are. This man embodies that spirit. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/925796/viral-kakanin-vendor-braves-kristine-floods-to-feed-family/story/

During tropical cyclone Kristine's heavy downpour in October, a vendor went viral for walking through massive floods and winds while carrying his container of kakanin.

"Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" discovered that this man, Randy, lives in Calamba, Laguna, and that he decided to brave the storm to earn an income to feed his family.

["All I could think of was my family not having anything to eat. That's why I forced myself to go out into the streets to sell"]

Randy said that he knew a storm was coming that day; he seized the opportunity because sales were strong during storms.

His wife, Jovimee, however, told him to stay at home because of the bad weather, but Randy was persistent.

While selling kakanin during the storm, Randy's metal container began to break, and he himself was nearly swept away by the strong winds.

Randy held onto an iron fence as onlookers shouted, unaware of how far he'd walked through the flood. Unable to walk in slippers, he went barefoot. 

While he was away, Jovimee feared for her husband.

["I didn't receive an update from him the whole day. I was afraid metal sheets might fly around."]

Although Randy was able to sell all his kakanin, the storm got stronger on his way home.

["The storm was really strong! I got scared and had to stop for a moment to hold on to the area near the gutter"]

Randy came across more trouble when he fell into a canal in Barangay Halang, Calamba.

["I didn't know there was an open canal there. I just fell right in!"]

["I was scared I'd get swept underneath. Out of fear, I quickly climbed out and kept walking. All I could think about was getting home, knowing my family was waiting for me. They might have nothing to eat, especially in a storm. I was worried that something might happen to them."]

When he finally got home, Jovimee thanked the Lord that nothing dangerous happened to her husband.

So, Randy, knowing there was a fierce storm coming decided to go out and hawk his kakanin. He says sales are strong during storms. Now, why is that? Why are people buying food from street vendors during storms? Because they can't go out so they wait for some hapless street vendor amble along selling stuff?

Then he falls into a gutter. Presumably he is walking his normal route, BAREFOOT, and did not realize there was an open canal in his path. Did he forget? But he climbed out safe and sound and kept walking home. 

You see, Randy is resilient. 

Randy's perseverance

Randy leaves his home at 5 a.m. daily to sell puto, sapin-sapin, and kutsinta. He then commutes to Los Banos, Laguna, where he sells these kakanin.

Randy's daily earnings vary, with P1,500 being the largest amount. He then sends money to the business owner, and brings home P500 to P600 for his family.

["We use the money for food, electricity, water, and school expenses. It's never enough because there are always unexpected school costs.]

["I don't think about the exhaustion. I just want to put my kids through school. As long as I can work, I'll keep going because I don't want them to end up like me."]

Randy shared that he chose to live in Calamba and work in the south to search for his mother.

Raised in Pangasinan, Randy didn't finish school and started selling binatog with his uncle. Later, his grandmother told him he wasn't a blood relative and that his real mother was from Calamba.

["When the woman left, she didn't give a name. They just gave me away, like bread.]

His father figure, Tatay Andoy, said it was difficult to reveal this to Randy after raising him. "Para sa akin talaga, tunay na anak ko na siya."

["To me, he was like my own child."]

Randy learned no new details about his mother from Tatay Andoy but remains grateful to the family who raised him. At 17, he began supporting himself by selling kakanin in Laguna while continuing his search for his mother.

Not only is Randy selling food to provide for his family but he is also looking for his mother. As if one day she will magically show up even though he has no idea who she is or what she looks like. Poor Randy was raised by a grandmother who was not his grandmother. She was merely an old woman to whom Randy was given to raise. 

But there is hope she might be found because a random lady took a video of Randy trudging barefoot through the storm.  

The viral video

When Randy was on the way home after selling kakanin during Typhoon Kristine, a woman named Shamillae took a video of him. 

She said she recorded it after they were asked to leave a coffee shop due to rising floodwaters. Unaware he was being filmed, Randy kept walking through Barangay Halang.

Jovimee watched the video when a neighbor showed it to her.

["I cried because I didn't realize the extent of what he went through just to be able to come home."]

Following this, several people were able to donate rice for Randy. When he and Shamillae met, she also offered him cash.

The barangay staff and Calamba City's local government provided Randy with sacks of rice, groceries, and other essentials, along with a scholarship for his child.

Randy also hopes the viral video will be a way for him to meet his mother.

["I hope someone can help me find my real parents. I want to meet them because I have a lot of questions about why they did what they did."]

Because of the video much attention was given to Randy's plight. People donated money and the barangay gave him "sacks of rice, groceries, and other essentials, along with a scholarship for his child." 

Well, good for him. His resilience has paid off because it was all caught on video.

But how many more people in this same situation have not been caught on video? How many more Filipinos are out walking around barefoot doing every thing they can to provide for their family? 

Hopefully they stay resilient. Continue on walking that barefoot path selling food or other wares and maybe, just maybe, strangers, or even the barangay who are supposed to offer help to the poor, will lend a helping hand. 

Let's hear it for Randy. Let's hear it for Filipino resiliency.