CAVITE – A toy vendor is proving that hard work attracts wealth more than any new year tradition or good luck charm.
Mendez resident Leonel Orendain, 34, has gone viral after sharing on Facebook that he was able to earn P150,000 from selling plastic horns and other toys in his streetside kiosk in Tagaytay from Dec. 22 to Dec. 31.
According to Orendain, making a six-figure income during the holiday season was no child's play. He had to show up for work every day of the week and even on Christmas day and New Year's Eve.
"Ang pananaw ko po, 'yung mga supermarket, malalaking business nga, bilyonaryo, nagtitinda pag holiday, pag linggo, pasko, bagong taon. Ako pa kaya na mahirap lang ako (My mindset is, the supermarkets and big businesses owned by billionaires are open on holidays, Sundays, Christmas, New Year. Why shouldn't a poor man like me do the same)," Orendain told the Manila Bulletin.
Orendain says he has come a long way from when he first went to Cavite from the Bicol Region in 2006. He started his business by peddling various products, from walis tambo (whisk broom) to rat poison. He also endured many trials, including being driven away from public markets because he didn't have a business permit.
A husband and a father of two, Orendain says their lifestyle changed when he decided to be serious about his business.
"Naranasan ko po na kapag pasko at bagong taon, talagang nakikipagsabayan ako na maghanda nang marami, ng bilog na prutas, minsan nangungutang pa ako sa 5-6 (During Christmas and New Year, I used to prepare a lot of food and round fruits. I sometimes even borrowed money)," Orendain shared.
"Pero ramdam ko po na ang buong taon po sa amin ay hindi maluwag. Mabigat dahil namomroblema ako sa ibabayad ko (But the rest of the year wasn't smooth. I felt burdened because I was worried about how to pay for the loan)."
"Nitong natuto po kami, wala talaga kaming handa. Wala rin kaming bilog na prutas. Kasi sobra po kaming busy, no time po kami para mag-prepare (Now that we've learned our lesson, we didn't prepare a lot of food. We also don't have round fruits. Because we were so busy, we had no rime to prepare)."
Orendain said he used a part of his holiday earnings to pay for his previous loans while some were spent for home improvement. He also shared his blessings with his relatives and allotted a part to help homeless people in their community.