QUEZON, Palawan — A housewife here has found the opportunity during the lockdown to pass the time profitably by making face masks, a rare commodity during the time of COVID-19, to sell to their townsfolks so her family will have the means to eat.
Ginalyn Jabagat, 38, a resident of Barangay Berong, is sewing 2,000 pieces of face masks after she was commissioned to produce them by their village officials.
Her husband, a machine operator and farmer, has no regular income, especially now that the dry months have started. Ginalyn said life for them will be more difficult in the next few weeks and she does not want to sit still at home without doing anything to help her family.
“Napakalaking tulong nito sa amin, lalo na wala pong hanap-buhay na iba. Ang aking asawa ay hindi makapag-biyahe at makapag-trabaho sa malayo dahil ipinagbabawal na. Para naman makaraos kami sa pang-araw-araw naming gastusin at pagkain. Kinakailangan po talaga maging praktikal para kumita, sakto naman na kinuha ako ng barangay para kontratahin ang pagtatahi ng face masks,” she said.
Jabagat said she collects P20-P35 per face mask, depending on the kind of clothing material she is using.
The demand to make 2,000 face masks, she said, has already made her look for someone to assist her so she can meet the deadline and because many more are ordering. So far, she has already completed more than 300.
“Hindi pa ito tapos, nasa 300 plus pa lang natatapos ko dahil de padyak lang ang aking makina kaya medyo matagal. Mayroon pang gustong magpagawa ng dose dosena order ulit, kaya lang kulang ako sa tao,” she said.
“Hinikayat ko na rin ang ibang kababaihan dito na magtahi na rin para magkaroon ng dagdag kita. Puwede naman nila gawin sa kanilang bahay at di kailangan lumabas pa, dagdag income din kasi ito,” Jabagat added.
