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Monday, January 16, 2006
Earning from Sinulog crowd
Enterprising Cebuanos made the most out of the Sinulog Grand Parade yesterday by selling goods sought after by revelers.
Sidewalks along the parade route were lined with stalls displaying food and other items that boosted the festival spirit.
Even vendors at the Sinulog stalls outside the Cebu City Sports Complex who sold malongs, shawls, cellular phone casings, bags, shoes and toys had their hands full.
Hot items were the shirts sold by Benjie Ranque from Davao del Norte.
Customers, mostly teenagers, had shirts printed with logos of Sinulog 2006, Superman or hip designs, like marijuana leaves and the face of reggae legend Bob Marley.
‘In’ stuff
Ranque, 39, who has been selling goods here for the Sinulog since 1994, said the Sinulog shirt is a consistent favorite item.
He said this is the first time he is selling shirts, priced between P120 and P140.
Due the good response of customers for the Pinoy Big Brother shirts, he prepared 2,000 pieces of it for the grand parade day alone.
“Mangita lang gyud ka unsa’y ganahan sa mga tawo (You only have to be aware of what’s in),” he said.
Other hot items were wooden necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
The accessory trader said he brought 300 necklaces and 200 bracelets from Davao City for the Sinulog.
Customers of all gender and ages enjoyed buying the accessories.
“Unisex man ni. Ang mga bayot mamalit sad gyud (Even gays love it),” the vendor said, laughing.
Another bestseller are sticker tattoos, which had flower, butterfly and other abstract designs.
Accessories
Vendors Asnia Sultan, 12, and Dahara Cabugatan, 9, were among those who enjoyed selling tattoos and sticking them on to the arms, necks and faces of revelers.
The girls come from families who were also selling phone casings at the Sinulog stalls.
Local entrepreneurs focused more on selling drinks and more festival items.
Betty Padilla, 36, of Barangay Labangon, bought 80 green mangoes–four times her usual stock-from Carbon Market and sold them along P. del Rosario St. yesterday.
She said sales were doing well and most of the customers were women, who could not resist the Bisaya green mango.
Sales of boiled peanuts were not so well. Her son, Samuel, 12, who tended to the peanut basket, was just enjoying watching the parade.
“Tungod man gud sa kadaghan namaligya ug mani (Too many are selling peanuts),” she observed.
Stiff competition
Elvira Acot, 54, a fish vendor who has been selling Sinulog caps and masks since the festival started 26 years ago, also observed the increase in the number of competitors.
But she said many buyers still patronized the caps with colored feathers and the masks. This year’s masks had Mulawin designs to attract fans of the local television show.
Juice vendor Winnie Teves, 23, for his part, got worried when it started to drizzle yesterday.
“Maguol gyud ko kay pabugnaw gud ni akong baligya (I was worried because I’m selling cold items),” he said.
However, when asked for his sales for the day, Teves was just all smiles. “Wa nako maihap (I couldn’t count it),” he said.
Teves, a resident of Basak, Pardo, said he started selling juice with gulaman since he was still about 10 years old.
A cup then cost P5 and he did not increase the price this year for fear of losing customers. (CYR)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 16, 2006 issue)
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