“I only got P3,000 in my wallet. That was my last money,” Robert Baranda of food business De Kalidad recalled one of his relatives as saying as he and the rest of his kin braced themselves for the worst after losing their jobs during the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But instead of gambling that last money or using it for lottery tickets, Baranda’s relative invested it in a small food business. Baranda and his wife Michelle whipped up lemon spread and Everlasting meat loaf from their kitchen, then they tapped their friends and family from all over the Philippines, including one who is into Davao chocolates; another who makes ube halaya (purple yam delicacy) from Batangas; an aunt who makes Kesong Puti (carabao’s milk cheese) from Laguna; a friend who makes atchara (pickled papaya condiment) from Samar, and so forth.

Through unity and pooling their small businesses together, Baranda and his relatives survived the pandemic — and have all since been thriving not only in business, but also in helping local communities and farmers.

Indeed, inspiring stories of Bayanihan formed this year’s Tindahan ni

Tarsee, DAILY TRIBUNE’S annual corporate social responsibility bazaar that helps small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with free booths and exposure, held in Festival Mall, Alabang from 5 to 7 December.

Like the tarsier, the inspiration behind DAILY TRIBUNE’S mascot Tarsee, who welcomed the visitors of the bazaar, this year’s “Tindahan ni Tarsee” tenants did not only champion Filipino pride in products and craftsmanship, but also exemplified true stories of hope and resilience.

From pandemic to continuing success

Teacher Mary May Gigantoni was among those retrenched from the private school she was working in during the pandemic.

“Since konti lang ang mga nag-enroll, nagbawas sila ng teachers (Since only a few students enrolled at the school, they retrenched some of us teachers),” she recalled.

Thus, in 2020, she pivoted to selling fresh and dried flowers, which she learned how to do through YouTube tutorials.

Although now already a public school teacher, Gigantoni still continues to sell flowers and has since set an example to her sister, who has joined her as an entrepreneur by creating Christmas trees and other decors or fuzzy wire art made of pipe cleaners.

“Pandagdag n’ya po sa pang-aral since ang kinukuha n’ya pong course is Dentistry (My sister uses the business to get extra income for school since she is taking up Dentistry),” Gigantoni shared.

Today, Gigantoni and her sister’s JMJ Flowers business, based in Las Piñas, continues to bloom.

“Dapat hanapin mo lang ang passion. Kasi sa negosyo, dapat gusto mo ang ginagawa mo kasi kapag hindi, may araw na tatamarin ka…” she advised.

Like Gigantoni, Marilyn Campbell of Dasmariñas, Cavite started her Natural Balance balms and scents business during the pandemic.

“Naisip po n’ya na since pandemic, dapat health ang priority natin, so mga pampa-relax… Instead na uminom ka ng gamot, we can heal naman in a natural way (She though that since the pandemic, health should be our priority, so she came up with products for relaxation as alternatives for taking medicines, since we could heal in a natural way),” Campbell’s niece, Camille Rebenque, explained on the motivation behind the brand.

From Campbell’s kitchen, Natural Balance has grown into a corporation with its own plant in Cavite. From simply boiling lemongrass, the company now processes ingredients such as turmeric, barley, peppermint and ginger and expanded with up to 100 product offerings for customers of all ages.