For decades, the sari-sari store has become one of the backbones not only of the Filipino economy but of society as well.
More than simply the quickest, cheapest and most convenient way of purchasing anything under the sun, the sari-sari store has become a meeting-place for neighbors, the number one source of gossip and news, and, in a sense, the “glue” that binds the community together.
And for the city government of Biñan, Laguna, which launched its very first “Sari-Sari Store Congress” from September 4 to 6, the small sari-sari stores are the true boosters of the local economy.
The “Sari-Sari Store Congress,” organized by the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other local business establishments in Biñan City, aims to bring sari-sari store owners in Biñan City together, as well as present them with unique opportunities to showcase and expand their businesses.
The three-day event held at the Alonte Sports Arena was opened not only to Biñanense sari-sari store owners but those from nearby cities in Laguna province as well.
“Itong Biñan Sari-Sari Store Congress ang magiging pinaka-tulong po natin, at appreciation na rin to all our sari-sari store owners dito sa lungsod ng Biñan,” Atty. Edward Vange Arriba of the Biñan City BPLO told OpinYon Laguna in an interview.
“Alam naman po natin na napakalaking ambag ng ating mga sari-sari store owners sa pag-unlad ng ating lungsod. So ang ating pamahalaang lungsod sa pangunguna ni Mayor Arman Dimaguila, Vice Mayor Gel Alonte at Congresswoman Len Alonte ay nag-organize po ng isang event kung saan ito na po ang maituturing nating pasasalamat sa ating mga sari-sari store owners,” he added.
City officials estimated that more than P700,000 in gross sales were generated during the three-day Sari-Sari Store Congress, which was attended by around “thousands” of sari-sari store owners.
Linkages
The event featured lectures and seminars from the DTI, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), as well as private businesses, which aim to teach sari-sari store owners and retailers on access to funding and other services, as well as integrating their sari-sari stores with digital and online payment systems.
The Sari-sari Store Congress also brought together manufacturers and large-scale grocery distributors, as well as digital and online payments providers such as Maya and PLDT, in order to give sari-sari store owners greater opportunities for business growth.
“Tinipon po natin sa event na ito ang mga direct distributors at ating mga business partners, kung saan makakabili po ng mas murang mga produkto ang ating mga sari-sari store owners. And of course, nag-organize na rin po kami ng capacity-building seminars upang matulungan at mas ma-capacitate ang ating mga sari-sari store owners sa pamamalakad ng kani-kanilang mga negosyo,” Arriba related to OpinYon Laguna.
Aside from this, the city government of Biñan organized raffles and contests for attendees, the BPLO head added, in which seven lucky winners received business and sari-sari store packages.
One of the raffle winners, Hylene Torrego, was overjoyed at her good fortune as she said the grocery package (worth P20,000) she received will help her rebuild her sari-sari store.
Torrego, who established a sari-sari store five years ago, recounted that her business was among the many that fell victim to the economic hardships brought by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
“Mahalagang-mahalaga po sa akin itong napanalunan ko, lalo na ngayon na may pinapaaral pa po akong anak,” she told OpinYon Laguna.
Personal and community significance
That the city government of Biñan City decided to honor and assist the small “mom-and-pop” businesses that cater to the needs of their communities meant a big deal for many of the sari-sari store owners who attended the event.
It should be noted that many sari-sari store owners who started their own businesses were retirees and senior citizens who opened their sari-sari stores inside their garages to supplement their pensions.
"As a retired employee kasi, kapag may sari-sari store kami ay mayroon rin kaming pinagkakaabalahan, hindi magiging idle ang mind namin, at siyempre makakatulong rin kami sa aming mga komunidad," was how Aling Doris from Barangay Soro-soro, who has run a sari-sari store (a legacy from her mother, she recounted) for over 20 years, told OpinYon Laguna.
Aside from the opportunity to meet other sari-sari store owners and share with them their own experiences and opportunities, the “Sari-Sari Store Congress” also opened the minds of the attendees with the many programs of the national and local government to improve their own businesses.
“Malaking tulong po sa aming mga sari-sari store owners hindi lang ang event na ito kundi pati ang iba pang mga hakbangin ng Biñan City LGU, lalo na doon sa discounts sa pagpapa-renew ng aming mga business permit,” Aida dela Cruz from Barangay Santo Tomas, who started her own sari-sari store in 1995 after retiring from work, said in an interview.
(With reports by Thattiana Khane Hipoit and Earl Dick Belardo)
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