Online selling has different dimensions. For those who either lost their jobs or had a pay cut due to the pandemic, online selling is a lifesaver. For our community, online selling by our neighbors spares us from going out and risking ourselves to COVID-19 exposure. And then there are those who do online selling to escape boredom.

Lifeblood

For our neighborhood, online selling has been a lifeblood because it helps our neighborhood to remain COVID-19 free until now. Not a single case when we are only about 500 meters away from another subdivision that has had more than 20 COVID-19 cases since March.

Our homeowners’ association quickly created a Facebook page for daily advisories which eventually turned to a marketplace too. We literally survived for weeks without going outside, thanks to the entrepreneurs in our subdivision who sold everything from meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, eggs, rice, and other goods.

After more than 100 days in quarantine, online sellers in our neighborhood have already identified their patrons and all it takes is one Facebook PM (private message) to get an order. My brother and I were joking that our community’s online marketplace has already expanded, that it seems like every house is selling something except us. I said that we have no items to sell since all we have in bounty in our backyard is malunggay. Nonetheless, we are happy buyers.
Here are some of my favorite products from my neighbors:

Lifeline of survival and happiness

For my middle class friends and families, online selling is a lifeline for survival or happiness.

My OFW cousin Dingdong, for example, has ventured into online selling of bagnet. While out of work, every penny he earns from online selling is spent for food and other basic necessities. My neighbor seafarer Kevin is also selling various online products while serving as our subdivision’s haircutter. My friend Judith has started an online sandwich business pending resumption of their travel and tourism business.

But there are some that dive into online selling as a lifeline for happiness in this pandemic. They do not need the additional income but they get a certain high from seeing people appreciate their products. Daisy’s bagoong is a runaway winner and was even included in their barangay’s package of relief goods whilst Jen’s desserts are already flying out of the shelves in a matter of hours as soon as she posts on FB that they are available. But when you ask them both how much they earned, they replied they had not done any costing. Cooking and baking was just something they loved to do.

These are just some of a few of my middle class colleagues and friends who are now into online selling. Who would not admire them for their resilience, persistence and positive outlook especially amidst our grim scenario? PM is the key.