This 80-year-old barber hopes to keep old salon chair and continue serving customers

An 80-year-old barber in Cagayan is not asking for much. He just wants to continue serving his customers on his decades-old barber’s chair.

According to the latest episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” Tatay Piping has been running a barbershop in Aparri for about two decades now.

At 6 a.m., before his 30-minute walk to his shop, he sharpens his scissors on a rock and his razor on a cowhide.

The shop and its tools may be old and worn out, but Tatay Piping couldn’t let go of them, especially his 20-year-old barber’s chair, the only one left after he sold his other two.

While he cut clients’ hair as they sat on the chair, Tatay Piping recalled the kuwentong barbero or barber’s tales he had heard over the years, from the mundane to the outrageous.

Through his barbershop, he raised his eight children. He recalled how his wife and their children sat on the barber’s chair as he cut their hair. His wife and one of their children have since passed away.

“Nagsisilbing masayang alaala ng pamumuhay ko dito,” he said.

[“This chair serves as a happy reminder of my life here.”]

Tatay Piping said the chair reminded him of his love for his wife so he couldn’t just throw it away.

“Mahalaga ito sa akin dahil iyong pera na pinambili ko dito e pera namin ng asawa ko. Kaya hindi ko din ito pwedeng itapon,” he said. “Iyong pagmamahal ko sa misis ko ay parang pagmamahal ko na din sa upuan na iyan.”

[“This is important to me because we bought this using our money. That’s why I can’t throw this away. My love for my wife is like my love for this chair.”]

He charges P50 for a haircut, but recently, he accepts whatever his customer can afford.

“Imbes na 50 pesos ang singil ko, nagbabayad sila ng 30, 40, dahil wala silang pera,” said Tatay Piping.

[“Instead of 50, they pay me 30, 40, because they have no money.”]

He’s lucky to have three customers in a week. “Minsan sa isang linggo, isa lang ang pumupunta kasi parehas ko din silang walang pera,” he said.

[“Sometimes in a week, I get only one customer because they have no money like me.”]

Tatay Piping is the only barber left in this part of the town, as almost all of his peers have died.

“Kung wala akong gugupitan, naka-upo lang ako at nag-iisip kung saan ako kukuha ng pang-araw araw namin ng pamilya ko,” he said.

[“If I don’t have customers, I just sit here thinking about ways to make money.”]

He also admitted he had been having problems with his eyesight.

“Ang totoo niyan, hindi ko na makita. Tinatandaan ko na lang kung saang parte ko ginupitan para hindi masugat,” he said.

[“The truth is I can’t see very well and I just remember which parts to cut so I don’t hurt them.”]

Despite his old age, he hopes to get more customers so he can earn an income for his family.

“Naiiyak pa ako minsan dahil wala akong kinita. Tinitignan ko iyong apo ko, masakit ang loob ko kasi wala akong maibigay sa kanya, kahit pambili ng biscuit.”

[“I feel like crying sometimes because I have no earnings. I look at my grandchild and it’s painful that I can’t give anything. I can’t even give them money for a biscuit.”]

The story of Tatay Piping first went viral when he was featured by a vlogger named Kulas or more commonly known as “Becoming Filipino.”

Tatay Piping said Kulas went to his barbershop, got a haircut, and shared it on Facebook.

Through the post, another vlogger, Von, found out about him and visited him in Aparri.

Tatay Piping said he was glad someone from as far as Iloilo came to see him, adding he would continue cutting hair if he got help to maintain his shop.

“Kung may tutulong man sa akin na ipaayos itong shop ko... itong upuan ay maiiwan pa rin sa akin!” he said. “Itong upuan ay para ko nang anak!”

[“If someone would help me renovate my shop, I will keep this chair! This chair is like my child!”]

The KMJS team then visited Tatay Piping and brought him to an ophthalmologist in Tuguegarao, which was two hours away. He also got a checkup from the rural health unit of Aparri.

The Local Government Unit (LGU) also helped him renovate his shop. He received barber shop supplies from a salon based in Manila, while Von bought a brand new barber’s chair for Tatay Piping.

Inside his newly renovated shop is his old yet still useful barber’s chair.

“Basta kaya ko pang bumangon at maglakad, pupunta pa rin ako dito,” he said.

“Gusto ko pang kumita ng pera para may pambili ng bilihin at para may ibigay ako sa mga apo ko. Kahit mahirap sir tuloy pa rin ako.”

[“As long as I can still walk, I will continue to work because I still want to earn money to make a living. So I can give something to my grandchildren. It’s hard but I won’t give up.”] – RC, GMA News