Online barter communities on the rise amid COVID-19 pandemic

One of the few good things to come about from the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has awakened people's ingenuity and resilience. The best example of this is the rise of online barter communities in the Philippines.

Online barter communities are fast becoming popular in the Philippines | Source: Pexels

Bartering is the mutual exchange goods and services. In modern times, the practice is called 'swapping.'

The barter system has been practiced by our forefathers centuries ago, and it has been recently revived amid the health crisis that the whole world is experiencing.

It's no secret that many have lost their jobs and are struggling financially during the pandemic. Cashless communities are of great help for these people who currently don't have enough cash to buy their needs.

In online barter communities, you can offer what you have in exchange for something that you need, for as long as they are deemed to be of same value.

Then, other people who have the item that you need and are willing to trade it off with what you're offering, can simply reply to your post.

Sample post in the Quezon City barter community | Source: Quezon City barter community (Facebook)

Once you've agreed to exchange goods or services with a particular person, you can then talk about how to deliver or pick-up the goods you are exchanging. It's that simple.

Some of the barter communities established on Facebook already have thousands of members and they're named after the province or city where most of its members reside.

The Bacolod barter community already has over 180,000 members | Source: Bacolod barter community (Facebook)

As of writing, the Bacolod Barter Community already has over 180,000 members. Some of the other places that have barter communities on Facebook are Iloilo, Quezon City, Bohol, and Bulacan.

So, if you don't have enough cash to buy what you need, you know what to do. Go to Facebook and join the barter community in your area.

For more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.

For updates on the Coronavirus Disease pandemic and the enhanced community quarantine, visit GMA's COVID-19 page and ECQ page.

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