Out of all the things a child can ask for, Sakirah “Kiray” Mallari, 10, had only one wish from Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro – a food cart to help provide for her family.

On Tuesday night, Dec. 13, the Marikina City local government made her wish come true and turned over the food cart to the Mallari family.

Accompanied by the mayor himself, his wife Congresswoman Marjorie Ann “Maan” Teodoro, and their daughter, Bela, they launched the opening of “Kiray’s Siomai.” They were Kiray’s first customers.

The cart sold an assortment of food such as siomai, siomai rice, and lumpia.

Kiray was at the helm, cooking and preparing the food with the assistance of her parents. A big group, led by city officials, welcomed the Mallaris' business venture at the hub.

With a simple request, Kiray made all of this possible.

A simple wish

It all began when Kiray and her mother, Zandra Mallari, met Mayor Teodoro in one of the orientations for the local “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers” (TUPAD) program in Barangay Industrial Valley Complex (IVC) in Marikina City.

Speaking to the beneficiaries, Teodoro asked if there was anyone in the audience who was selling street food under the Marcos Highway bridge to inquire how much they earn. No one raised their hand, Mallari recalled.

However, Teodoro noticed Kiray and approached her to give her some "baon." After thanking the mayor, Kiray whispered something to his ear.

“Nalaman ko na lang po na ang sinabi po pala niya ay kung pwede po ba siyang humingi ng slot at cart dahil gusto daw po niyang magtinda ng siomai rice (I found out later that she asked if she could request for a slot and a cart because she wants to sell siomai rice),” Mallari said in an interview with Manila Bulletin.

Their family’s main livelihood is selling food ordered online as well as water and soft drinks by the riverside near the location of the food hub where carts are allowed to operate.

Mallari said they did not have a slot at the hub nor did they have a permit to sell goods in the area. So, sometimes they get reprimanded by other vendors. However, they continued selling there because it was their source of income, she said.

Her husband has been unemployed prior to and during the pandemic. He worked as a props man for the ABS-CBN network but he was on a mere “on-call” status and was not entitled to regular compensation or employee benefits.

Mallari said her daughter expressed a desire to sell legally in the area because she has felt scared whenever they were reprimanded by the other vendors.

Kiray grew an interest in selling at the hub because of the food that was being cooked and sold there. She was also enamored by the colorful lights that draped and decorated the carts. She has made friends with the vendors there too, her mother said.

“Sabi ko sa kanya, kung sa slot lang, anak, malaking tulong na ‘yon kasi marami na sila. Wala na talaga sanang papapasukin kasi puno na (I told her that asking just for a slot is already a big help. There was no opening for additional carts in the hub because it was already full),” Mallari said.

Kiray explained she wanted to ask just for a slot but she remembered how expensive the food carts cost.

“Noong naghanap po kami ng mga nagpopost ng cart, ang mahal po pala. Kung tutuusin, hindi rin po namin kaya. Kung pagiipunan, siguro kung simula ngayon, next year pa po kami makakabili (When we searched through posts selling carts, we saw how expensive they were. We couldn’t afford it. If we will save money for it, starting now, it will take us until next year to buy one),” Mallari added.

A daily routine

Due to trying times, they decided as a family to work together selling merienda items so they can have enough money to buy food and eat everyday.

Her husband cooks while she posts the food online and processes the orders.

Since schools were suspended or closed at the height of the pandemic, Kiray and her sister helped their parents deliver their food orders within Barangay IVC.

Now that public schools have implemented full face-to-face classes, the two girls work in shifts for the delivery. Kiray delivers their products (like lumpiang shanghai, lumpiang toge) in the morning while her sister is in school. In the afternoon, her sister or their father takes over delivery duties (selling items like turon and banana que) while Kiray attends her classes.

After classes at 6:30 p.m., Kiray goes to their selling spot at the riverside to join her father who has been there since 3 p.m.

Along with their duties to their family, Kiray and her sister are both studying hard. Kiray is currently in the fifth grade at the Industrial Valley Elementary School and her sister is in the seventh grade at the Industrial Valley Complex National High School.

Mallari said her daughters assist them in their business. But she clarified that she and her husband do not make them do tasks that are too difficult.

Mallari acknowledged that at a young age, Kiray should be playing and enjoying her youth instead of thinking of her family’s livelihood.

She said that Mayor Marcy had the same sentiments when they talked with him at the turnover ceremony of the food cart. The mayor was also surprised with Kiray’s request.

“Siguro po sa hirap ng buhay, iyon po ang naisip niya – ang pampamilya, panghanapbuhay (Because of hardships in life, perhaps that’s what she thought of — asking for livelihood, something that will benefit her family),” Mallari remarked.

A child’s eye

At 10 years old, Kiray is an intelligent and business-savvy child, Mallari shared. Due to her experiences, Kiray has honed many entrepreneurial skills, learned how to negotiate prices when she buys in shops, developed an eye for potential hot spots for selling goods, and identified optimal times to sell their food.

She has a natural ability to communicate with people, her mother said. Many people in their community have taken to her because of her friendliness and thoughtfulness. Some of the vendors at the stalls she has befriended sometimes ask for help from her.

Mallari shared how Kiray takes the initiative to get things done in their family. When she wants to buy an item, she finds ways to earn money to afford it like collecting and selling plastic bottles.

Kiray has a piggy bank at home which she fills whenever they return home after a long day of work. Along with savings for the future, Kiray is also saving money to afford a debut celebration for her 18th birthday.

It is no wonder why Kiray has shared that she wants to manage her own business in the future.

Aside from being resourceful, Mallari takes pride in her daughter’s selflessness. She always thinks of people and shares her blessings.

Sometimes Kiray would run home just to inform her family and friends of a feeding program in the community, Mallari shared.

‘A sigh of relief’

The Mallari family is very excited at this new turn in their lives. They slept at around 2 a.m., tired from serving so many customers last Tuesday, but also fulfilled, Mallari said.

They are especially grateful to the Teodoros, other officials, and their community for giving them a blessing.

The capital she spent buying preliminary food items to sell at their cart was reimbursed by the mayor, she noted.

They have relatives and friends who sometimes offer and give them assistance in the form of money or food. They receive them gladly, but Mallari said they prefer not to depend solely on others to survive.

They are happy that their food will reach more people and be recognized and perhaps even featured by food vloggers who will visit the area.

“Ang pakiramdam po namin, makakatulog na kami ng maayos. ‘Yung hindi sakto lang ‘yung kinikita. Siguro may sosobra po kasi talaga lalo na ngayong December, malakas po doon (We feel like we can finally sleep well. Relieved that we can earn more and not ‘just enough’ to get through the day. Especially this December, many people come to the hub),” Mallari said.

“Laban lang po. Tayo rin ang gagawa ng pahina ng ating buhay (Just keep fighting. We are the only ones who can fill the blank pages of our lives),” she added.

“Kiray’s Siomai” is one among many food carts located at the Marikina Riverside near the underpass of the Marcos Highway Bridge in the area of Barangay IVC in Marikina City.

According to the local government, Teodoro allowed food vendors to install their carts in the area in in order to give them a proper space to do business and thus help them financially bounce back from the effects of the pandemic.

Teodoro asked the vendors to maintain the cleanliness and orderliness in the area at any given time.

Many visitors and food lovers have notably come to the food hub for cheap and affordable food.