The onset of COVID-19 brought to light a few things that many would usually fail to acknowledge—that work is not indefinite and, therefore, may now not always be a good source of living.

Many, especially those in the workforce, learned this first-hand when businesses the world over were forced on a lockdown that caused many to temporarily lose jobs that otherwise provide an income.

Yet, nowhere is that fact more felt than in a developing country as the Philippines whose majority of citizens only manage to get by through daily work’s salary.

While there is a government out there that is willing to lend a hand. The recipients mostly being the marginalized members of society—like, via the Philippine government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP), which was made easier via the ReliefAgad system—such cash aid is nothing but temporary and, thus, cannot be depended on long-term.

But, as in many cases, it pays to know that in every calamity, an optimist always sees an opportunity—the coronavirus pandemic is no different.

DSWD-DICT-ReliefAgad-NoypiGeeks

Capitalize on your ReliefAgad cash aid

While we should be thankful for the help, people should do their best to make use of it in a good way. The Php5,000 to Php8,000 amount rendered can indeed help a family get by for a few weeks or month at most, but no one is certain how long the crisis is going to go for. So, this can easily render the given aid depleted soon after it was given.

But that will not necessarily be the case if you know a thing or two about growing money—particularly, if put to good use, as in business. And with the new normal, we have to really prepare for the upcoming months because it’s now much harder than before.

If you have a keen sense of Pinoy culture, then you probably are aware or heard of the term “tubong lugaw,” an idea which denotes “small capital, large returns.” Often, this is a concept that works best when put in the context of staple products, such as food, for business.

Related: Businesses and shops open during the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ)

As an example, here’s a short list of small businesses you can do that don’t need huge upfront capital. I’ve seen these ideas from Filipinos online, so that means they are proven to work given enough determination and right execution.

  • Barbecue stall (ihaw ihaw)
  • Lugawan
  • Lutong ulam
  • Loading station
  • Food reseller online (delivered via Lalamove, Angkas, or Grab)
  • Halo-halo, palamig
  • Ice, Ice candy, Frostee
  • And many more

Just think about it. In times when hunger pose a major concern, would not an affordable food be a preferable solution, especially during a pandemic? But do note that you still need to practice social and physical distancing while doing these.

There are a lot of other ideas available online as well. Did we miss anything? Let us know and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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