Coping in the Time of Quarantine

When President Rodrigo Duterte put entire Luzon on Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) last March 17, Daniel Lavendia, 23, found himself jobless due to the restrictions imposed on construction projects.

With no certainty as to when the ECQ will be lifted, Daniel now had to find new sources of income in order to support his young family. Hailing from Samar, Leyte, Daniel is the eldest of 3 siblings. They grew up without a father, as the senior Lavendia met an early death due to a hit and run incident while delivering pawid, the family’s main source of income. His mother remarried and it was then that they decided to try their luck in Laguna. 

It is mainly due to his experiences growing up without a father that Daniel strives doubly hard to provide for his family. His main concern is his 2 year old son, Zachyrie. Recently weaned off breastfeeding, Zachyrie is in constant need of milk, thus Daniel has to find any kind of work, being the sole breadwinner, with his wife unable to help as she needs to take care of Zachyrie and their youngest, 7-month old Athena. 

Daniel tried the rider delivery service set up on Facebook by Laguna riders but failed to become a member since he had no motorbike. All he had was a bicycle. 

When SM Supermalls was preparing to launch their delivery service through its partner rider program, SM immediately reached out to Daniel and offered to include him in SM’s list of partner riders. 

“Sobrang laki ng tulong na naibigay sa akin ng SM Laguna Community Riders. Hindi ko na kailangan mag hanap ng customer, kadalasan sila na ang kumo-contact sa akin,” Daniel said as he was preparing to purchase his first deliveries for the day at SM Supermarket in SM City Santa Rosa. 

Daniel says he earns atleast a minimum of P500 a day mostly from tips from his customers as he does not charge for delivery fee. “Kung ano lang po ang gusto nilang ibigay,” Daniel says with a smile. When asked what he plans to do once the ECQ has been lifted and the world goes back to normal, Daniel turns optimistic, “Balak ko pa din po mag trabaho sa construction, pero sa ngayon po iniipon ko ang mga kinikita ko bilang rider para makapag umpisa kami ng maliit na negosyo.”

The SM Supermalls’ Laguna Community Rider Program’s objective is to offer SM customers a means to shop in the comfort and safety of their homes while providing an opportunity for out-of-work individuals to earn a living during these uncertain times.