Pinays make MSMEs thrive despite pandemic effect

Two Filipino women strive in their small businesses despite the COVID-19 pandemic's blow to micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operations.

In Amielle Ordonez's Stand for Truth report, Glady Grace resigned from her job to put up a real estate firm  with her husband.

Aside from this, she sold their property in Taguig to use as funds for their company. They also put up a laundry cafe and parlor.

Due to the pandemic, they were forced to shutdown all these establishments.

"There’s no income at all. As in zero. But the rentals are continuous of course yung mga staff kailangan din i-support," Grace said.

To make ends meet, Grace said they established a small kiosk to deliver food online in their village, where they earned P120,000 in months of lockdown.

On top of this, Grace also accepted laundry pick-ups and delivery within their village as an additional income.

"Nagbebenta kami ng fries, milk tea, as in we offered it sa mga kapitbahay namin. I’m cooking carbonara, spaghetti, chicken wings. So grabe, sobrang hirap din kasi lahat eh kami. No staff at all," she added.

Just like Grace, Angel Quijano is also exhausting all means for her livelihood amid the pandemic.

Quijano was selling freshly squeezed juices beneficial for those with diseases or health conditions. She also created juices for those experiencing hangover and insomnia.

"How we survived is that we look at the people. We do not just sell juice. We sold what people needed. They were telling us, can you please make a juice that is garlic-based because it is a natural antibiotic?" she said.

Her juices were even voted as Best Raw Cold Pressed Juices in the Philippines at the Q-Asia Awards.

But for the businesswoman, they not only target an increase in sales but also promote a happy and healthy work environment.

"We need to help ourselves first before helping others. Which means na kaming magpapartners yung team namin," she said.

Pandemic detrimental to women's health

Aside from its economic effects, the pandemic also dealt a blow to women's health due to increased stress and anxiety, according to UN Women Empower Asia.

The UN body also found in its study that 70% of women reported that their emotional health deteriorated during the health crisis.

With this, UN advised the following tips for support of women in business:

• Access  to information, including available support for businesses, as  well as health and safety protocols
• Re-skilling for other employment and/or business opportunities, especially for those  who have lost their jobs or had to recalibrate their businesses
• Access to finance, preferably through grants and loans with flexible terms.
• ICT-related facilities to enable work from home schemes

—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News