Once a "Maglalako"

This is my very first post and I would like to share where I started. I am a "PROMDI" boy from Santa Cruz, Marinduque, a simple "probinsyano" who had big dreams. My father worked as a farmer, carpenter, driver, construction worker, etc. His work's location was in Manila back then so he rarely visits us in the province. My mother was tasked to take care of us while my father is away. I am the only son of the four siblings.

At the age of five, I studied kindergarten. Our school is far from our house since we lived in the mountain-part of Santa Cruz, and so we were walking our way back and forth. Hindi uso ang sumasakay ng jeep o tricycle kasi lahat naman ng bata, naglalakad. Kaya pitong taon kaming naglalakad ng halos isang oras sa umaga at  parehong oras sa hapon. Nasanay na din kami. Ang nakakatuwa dito, marami sa amin (tinatawag nilang taga-bundok) ang kayang makipagsabayan sa kanila (na tinatawag naman naming taga-bayan) pagdating sa husay sa pag-aaral. It was really a matter of discipline and desire to achieve something.

                                     

The title of this post is "Once a maglalako." The italicized word means a person who sells a product by asking each customer he/she gets to see. Usually, the maglalako walks for hours before all of the products were sold. A friend and classmate of mine named Arlene sells walis tingting (broom) during Saturday. She wakes up at 3 o'clock in the morning and goes to the public market to sell her products. I decided to do the same and so my mother also made walis tingting for me to sell. Arlene became my buddy as maglalako. Madaling-araw, umaalis na kami sa aming mga bahay upang maabutan ang mga namimili sa palengke. Inilalako namin ang dala-dala naming mga walis.

Photo Credit

I remember each broom costs 6-10 pesos, depending on the generosity of the customer. I can only lift ten brooms that time so I earn 60-100 pesos weekly. I enjoyed the said experience and so I ventured into selling other products. Naging taong-palengke ako at naglako ng bawang, kamatis, sibuyas, at mga gulay. Parang nag-level up ang kita. My products depend on the season. During All Saints Day and Christmas Day, I sell candles and Christmas decorations, respectively. 

And the training as maglalako started there. When my parents started a small business, which is home-made banana chips, I focused on selling our products. And the rest is history.