Underground Economy? Did you hear something about it? Underground Economy is also known as “black market”. In which services and goods are traded illegally. It is also considered as a subject of the informal economy, of which 1. 8 billion people worldwide are employed. Underground Economy is also the people who not pay any taxes to the government. Some examples of underground economic activities include sexual exploitation and forced labor, illegal drugs, tobacco, fuel, weapons, etc. people engaged in the black market usually run their business hidden under a front business that is legal.
In my interview with Stella Marrie Sosmeña, 20 years of age, she been a buko vendor for four years from now. This is her main source of livelihood. She never thought of the hardships she has been undergoing in vending buko like being in the streets for whole day and bearing the heat of the sun. According to her, she has to do this feed her three children of which the youngest is two years old. Sometimes she even tags along this kids to help her in her work. Form this she can earn 800 pesos a day.
Despite this amount she is still happy for it because this can suffice the expenses of her children especially the daily needs and most important the everyday milk of her 2 years old child. She knew that this is only enough for their daily expenses. However she has to do this since she has to cope with all the needs at home and for children. Furthermore she still manages to save 200 to 300 pesos a day for emergency purpose in this type of work. Moreover she knew in the first that vending buko is not a permanent work. Especially if it at times you’ve got nothing to save for that day.
At times you cannot meet your expectation especially if your goods are not sold out. However she understands that this is how it is to run a business. You have to set things right for your business to grow. You need to thinks of new trends in order to meet the changing needs of society. Creativity in running a goods to sell whether this goods are bought immediately so the business can run fast. She has to bear and know all this things so that the money, time and effort you have installed in your work would not be put to waste and most importantly for a brighter future for herself and for the whole family.
They came from the province and thought of migrating to the city to live a rural life. According to her in the province you cannot succeed. Life there is really hard. There are no opportunities for work and to manage a business because the facilities needed are not provided. If there are, it is expensive which will make one to spend munch in starting a business. During my interview, its right and then that I know how hard their life all those years. Even though she is pregnant, she still working not knowing if what she gain from selling is enough for her children.
I noticed ate Stella while I was interviewing her, even though she is tired in working, she still managed to smile sand always courteous to all the people around her. I then realized how lucky I am because I did not experienced those kind of hardship in life. I salute ate Stella for the reason that she is really sacrificing and working hard for her children. Its really worth buying her product (buko juice) because I know in my heart that I am helping ate Stella and her family.
