Alicia and Romeo Fuaso make a living by selling food at the Sta. Ana public market in Manila.

Alicia “inherited” the stall from her mother in 1980 when she began selling dried fish, bread, among others. The couple wakes up as early as 4:30 a.m., a time when most of the city is still asleep, but in the business they are in, the earlier you are out there with your goods, the better.

Alicia also finds the time to say a prayer at the Sta. Ana Catholic Church before she goes to the market every day.

The ritual has been her thanksgiving ritual for the past 30 years.

“God has been kind to us for the past 30 years because despite life’s difficulties, we have managed to keep ourselves above water and we still have this little business while most people are losing their jobs,” says the 54-year-old Alicia.

It is true that despite the crisis, the Fuasos’ business is doing relatively well.

The couple nets P400-P500 a day during the weekdays and a little bit more on holidays and weekends.

“I use the earnings for the day to buy the next day’s merchandise while the net income goes to the family’s needs. We don’t really have any savings,” says Alicia.

Romeo helps to augment the family’s income by moonlighting as a carpenter and doing odd jobs in their neighborhood but his diabetes has kept mostly at home or helping Alicia in the market.

“God will provide” is the family’s motto.

Thanks to Alicia’s former classmates at Araullo High School who have put the AHS 1972 International Alumni Foundation, she has obtained a no-interest, no-collateral loan of P5,000 payable in five monthly installments.

Alicia used the proceeds from the loan to sell flowers which she gets from Dangwa bus station in Sampaloc.

Alicia sells 12 roses for P80, giving her income of P30 per bundle. She earns more from flower arrangements for weddings, birthdays and other occasions.

“I earn more during All Soul’s Day and of course, Valentine’s Day,” she says.

Alicia’s extra income from the flowers has freed her from borrowing money from loan sharks that prey on small entrepreneurs like her.

“I used to pay 20 percent for loans that I got and it was difficult,” she says.

This month, the Fuasos will be eligible for another loan after paying the last installment on the P5,000 that they borrowed from the foundation.

Alicia says she will use whatever money she can borrow to expand her business.

“With hard work, prayers and perseverance and of course, the help of my former classmates, God will really provide,” she adds. Dinna Chan Vasquez