A different kind of barter at the Cebu Barter Community

Ensiang Recca and her common-law husband, Demar Pilapil received the donations from netizens through Vida Coloyan. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Do you have items that you no longer use or haven’t used at all?

You can have these items given to another in exchange for an item of your choice.

This is how the Cebu Barter Community works and a lot of people have already started to patronize the Facebook page since its creation two weeks ago.

The page now has over 100, 000 members coming from the different parts of Cebu and the rest of the southern Philippines.

Shoes, bags, old books, gadgets, appliances, and even groceries are welcome for barter here.

However, prohibitions are made on animal barter and the selling of goods.

But this page is not just for bartering.  Some kind-hearted members have also started playing angel to those who are in need.

Vida Victoria Coloyan, for example, granted the wish of a mother for her two boys aged seven and one-year and seven months old.

Coloyan, who is from Barangay Canduman Mandaue City, said she was very touched by the Wednesday morning post of Ensiang Recca, who made an offer to trade some canned goods with a fast-food meal that her children had been craving for.

Recca had been left unemployed because of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).  They survive from the meager salary that her common-law husband, Demar Pilapil, earns from working in a manufacturing plant.

Ensiang Recca’s post on the Facebook group, Cebu Barter Community. | Contributed photo

“When I saw the post I immediately asked her info coz I wanted to send them Jollibee and a little of our groceries left here at home. After few mins, there were a lot of people skeptical about it and started insulting her [Recca] so I asked her to take down her post since we were willing to give her [what she was asking for] anyway,” said Coloyan, 31.

Coloyan, an online seller, said it’s sad that others looked down at Recca and made fun of her offer to barter her canned goods with a fast-food meal.

Although disappointed with how others reacted to Recca’s post, Coloyan said she decided to post Rica’s story on her Facebook page on the same day to especially encourage her friends to also help.

Coloyan said she felt a sense of relief after some of her friends expressed their desire to shell out for Recca’s family.

Using the money that she raised, Coloyan said she bought the meal that Recca’s children had been asking for in the afternoon of Wednesday.  She also bought some groceries for her family.

Coloyan said that she personally visited Recca’s home in Barangay Banilad to deliver the goodies and other items that she bought.

“While doing the groceries I felt exhausted coz people were skeptical and it gave me so much anxiety but help is help. [But] when I saw the look on their faces tanan ka kapoy nawala nahimo og kalipay tanan [the fatigue that I felt vanished],” she added.

Coloyan proved that a simple act of kindness can go a long way. / dcb