DESPITE the El Niño phenomenon and the rotating brownouts, two local entrepreneurs in Cagayan de Oro City seemed not so affected by this crisis as they go on with their daily business.
Bordy Sambas, a former local boxer who is now a cigarette vendor, said he prefers to sell cigarettes around the city’s streets, especially during Night Cafés on Fridays and Saturdays, since this would only require little capital.
And this, he added, does not require “water” and “electricity.”
Cigarette vendors like him, Sambas said, earn an average of P600 to P1,000 during night café’s.
“Half of this will be used to purchase cigarettes and half would be our net income,” he said.
Being in a small-time business, Sambas said the government does not require them to pay tax and realized this kind of business is a “sure hit” as he gets to manage his own time.
“Costumers don’t complain even if we overprize due to their urge to smoke,” Sambas said as he noted that there are now more smokers than before.
Just like Sambas, a reflexologist like Michelle Apugan only needs a good sales talk in order to earn.
Apugan is one of those who make a living through reflexology at the Divisoria Park.
What she needs, she says, is a chair, a liniment, a certificate in reflexology and a good sales talk.
“I get to earn P600 a night even if it is week days and P1,000 and above during Night Café’s,” she said.
Apugan said reflex services only cost P30 but some of her regular customers give “tips”.
Though financially rewarding, she said this kind of work takes a lot of hard work and a lot of patience to gain more customers.
But once you have these qualities, Apugan said this would go a long way.