Wednesday, September 19, 2007 Computerization eases out Cebuano freelance typists By Malou M. Mozo Sun.Star Staff Reporter
BEFORE computers and laptops, they took care of school reports and just about any paperwork in the 80s and early 90s.
Armed with only a chair, small table and typewriter, “freelance typists” who lined up the sidewalks of Pelaez, P. del Rosario, Sanciangko and Colon streets, close to downtown universities in Cebu City, were among the most sought-after individuals at that time. They typed different types of paperwork, from students’ term papers to office reports to job ap-plication letters.
“Daghan kaayo mi adtong una,” said Jesse Nadela, 54, adding that no less than 20 typists lined up the sidewalks of Pelaez and P. del Rosario streets before Internet cafés existed. (There were so many of us then.)
Nadela, who used to work as part-time typist at the University of San Carlos Main Campus when he was a student, decided to put up his own space in front of the university in 1981 after quitting school.
Golden times
Those were the “golden times,” he recalled. He said students, who made up the bulk of his customers, queued to have their school term papers and theses typed.
“Uso mana kaniadto. Mag-ilog pa gani,” he said. (It was popular then. They even fight over who is served first.)
In the early 1990s, a single typewritten page costs P6 to P10, and Nadela could finish at least 10 pages per customer each day. He had at least 10 customers daily.
He said school thesis, a requirement at the end of every semester, was a major source of income for typists. Each thesis has at least 45 pages and took two to three days for the average typist to finish.
Apart from college students, Nadela also had walk-in customers.
“Kanang magpa-type sa ilang ITR (income tax return) or kanang mga forms nga kinahanglan i-carbon copy,” he said. (Those forms that need to be typed using carbon copy and ITR).
He said he worked for at least eight hours a day, six days a week. He earned as much as P1,000 and as low as P400 a day.
No debts
“Nakapalit ko ug balay, refrigerator, TV ug cassette nga walay utang-utang, cash gyud,” he said, adding that such privilege was never his when he was working in a bottling company before becoming a typist. (I bought a house, refrigerator, television and cassette player in cash.)
Apart from material possessions, his work was able to provide the daily needs of his family and send his children to school.
But when Internet cafés began sprouting in the late 1990s, the future of freelance typists became bleak.
As more people acquired personal computers and laptops — while those who have not yet done so started going to Internet cafés instead — to do their own paperwork, many freelance typists decided to find other forms of livelihood.
From over 20 typists, there are now only nine that dot the sidewalks near major universities in downtown Cebu City.
“Pag-abot sa mga Internet cafes, na low batt gyud mi,” said Joe Pagalan, 54. (With the advent of Internet cafes, we started losing our business.)
Pagalan, one of the few typists who survived, set up shop along the P. del Rosario in 1986. While customers came in droves before computers, he said nowadays he would be more than happy to bring home P200 for an entire day’s work. Students are no longer his top customers.
“Dili naman gud dawa-ton sa eskuwelahan kung dili gi-computerize,” he said. (Schools no longer accept paperwork that is not computerized.)
Pagalan relies mainly on walk-in customers and suki (patrons), who need to have their application forms and affidavits typewritten.
No customers
Although a single page now cost P10 to P15, Pagalan said he only gets two to three customers —mostly locals, Ilonggos and Warays — a day.
There are days when he doesn’t get any customer.
Like Nadela, Pagalan could only reminisce when his income as a freelance typist was the bread and butter of his family.
With an average daily income of P500 then, his was able to provide for the needs of his family of six, established a piggery and acquired a house and a lot. All of these he paid for in cash.
“Bahala nag mao ra ni akong pamohunan, wala lang koy utang. Makatulog ra ko’g maghayang,” he said with amusement. (Even if this is my only income, for as long as I have no debts, I can sleep soundly.)
This is the same principle he imparted to his children.
In this age of major technological breakthroughs, Nadela and Pagalan agree that typewriting has become a sunset business.
But even with govern-ment’s computerization program, the typists are optimistic that their generous patrons-turned-friends would continue to look at their livelihood with high regard.
“Pwede man ko mo-retire pero magpangita gyud akong lawas,” said Nadela. (I can retire but I’m used to working.)
“Mao man ni ang nagpabuhi sa akong pa-milya, mao nalang pud ni akong pakamatyan,” Pa-galan saod. (This job raised my family. I will die for it.)
