CEBU CITY, Philippines— Cebu Barter Community (CBC) is the fastest online growing community here in Cebu.
This Facebook group lets you barter your things with whatever you desire or whatever you find useful from other members.
Bong Abela, the man behind the CBC, told CDN Digital that they were overwhelmed with how the people used their page not just for bartering materials but for extending help to others.
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“Number one siguro kanang nalipay mi kay di ba ang objective man gyud namo is katong gasugod mi katong ni arise ang fear tungod sa COVID but of course na ma activate gyud ang heart to share without using money,” Abela said.
(First, we are happy because our objective when we started arose from the fear of COVID, but, of course, that we can activate the heart to share without using money.)
The Cebu Barter Community started on May 15, and in less than a month the group has already 200,000 members.
“Na overwhelm mi kay we just turned 200k in less than a month of operating, ni go beyond siya sa concept of bartering. Naa nay mga very remarkable barters or sacrifices done to help others,” he added.
(We were overwhelmed because we just turned 200,000 members in less than a month of operating. We went beyond the concept of bartering. There are now very remarkable barters or sacrifices done to help others.)
Abela, who is joined by some of his friends in the marketing industry, said that CBC was inspired by other places in the Philippines who also had this kind of concept.
“This was inspired by other places nga naay ingon ani but CBC is not too material driven but kung pwde help gyud siya, naay uban mohatag og mga designer bags in exchange for grocery items for those in need,” said Abela.
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Abela and the rest of the admin of the page thanks to the Cebuanos for making CBC something worth making and keeping.
“If we still see the need to keep CBC then we will keep it for our fellow Cebuanos,” he said./dbs