Palm vendor Nerry Vidal is confident that 2022 is a good year for her. | Doris C. Bongcac
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — As Catholics look forward to Palm Sunday that marks the official start of the Holy Week celebration now that pandemic restrictions have been eased, vendors like Nerry Vidal also hope to earn more and recover from losses incurred in the last two years.
Vidal, 53, sells palm leaves shaped in the form of a cross near the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City on Palm Sunday and candles during the city’s annual fiesta celebration every May 8.
Together with her three children and some neighbors in Barangay Can-asujan in Carcar City, they would hire a truck that would bring them to Mandaue City that is located approximately 47 kilometers away from home.
“Sa ubang panahon, mobiyahe mi kun asa ang pista para maninda og kandila. Adto mi kun asa ang pista,” said Vidal, who is a widow.
(On other occasions, we travel to other places to sell candles. We go to localities that celebrate their annual fiestas.)
| Doris C. Bongcac
But on Palm Sunday, Mandaue City has been her favorite destination.
She has been travelling here in the last 15 years to take advantage of the huge crowd of devotees that hear Mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph.
“Nindot diri kay daghan og tawo unya halin. Lahi man diri. Nakauyon jud mi diri,” she said.
(I find this a good place to sell because of the many people who come here. It’s different here. I have learned to like this place.)
Palm Sunday
On Friday, April 8, Vidal and 20 others from Barangay Can-asujan traveled to Mandaue City on a truck. They also carried with them palm leaves that they would sell.
If she is lucky, she expects to earn at least P3,000 after she would have sold everything. She set aside a P1,000 as capital for her palms.
She sells her palms from P30 to P50 each depending on the size and design.
“Ug naay dili mahalin ilabay na man na namo kay malaya na,” she said.
(We dispose the unsold palms because this will already wither.)
Vendors occupy the sidewalks near the National Shrine of St. Joseph to sell palm
When the pandemic broke in 2020 and with lockdowns being imposed in Cebu, she was unable to sell during the Palm Sunday celebration then.
She only earned a small amount in 2021 since restrictions were still being imposed then and only very few were allowed inside churches during the Holy Week celebration.
With restrictions now eased, Vidal is confident that she will also earn more this year.
In fact, while she was preparing her palm leaves on Saturday, she already started to earn at least P100 even if it was also raining then. She just made an improved tent for her shelter.
Vidal also brought with her a pillow that she could use in case she would want to take a nap.
And after she is able to sell all of her palms, she would head home late night on Sunday.
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