My Sari Sari Store Experience Part 2

         Hello everyone! Here I go again missing my blogging world, "hirap pala ng walang internet sa bahay, mas magastos sa binabayad kong P200 sa kapatid ko dati :).". Anyway, my post today is all about my new found interest. I never thought that life after my Big C Battle will give me a new direction in life, that a businessman inside me will be awaken, and that I'll be interested in running my own mini sari sari store.

My Mini Sari Sari Store -Front Side

My Mini Sari Sari Store - on the side

       

         The first three months was experimental. I needed to establish these primary factors first - familiarity, availability, variety, consistency and affordability.

Familiarity - I became friendly with my neighbors and have a little chat with them during my first few months - I need to know their wants, their needs and their interests. I think there are only 10 families in our area and most of them are working and only few are staying and consistently buying their basic needs in my store so I need to be familiar with the brand of products they want and the kind of products they need.

Availability -  I may not be able to offer all the brand and products they want and need but I try my best to provide it in my store - from coffee, milk, canned goods, soap, shampoo, detergents, fabric conditioner, basic medicines, softdrinks, condinents, charcoal, diapers, biscuits, monay bread, basic school supplies, etc. - everything should be present in my store. 

Variety - I have an approximate 1.2 sq. meter area in my store so I  maximize the area, took advantage of the height to display all the brand of products of every customer in my area.

Affordability- Our house is located in a bit remote area (medyo malayo sa main road at dead end area) , I also have a very small crowd of customer so I need to know their financial capability and align it to the products I'm selling. Basic products should be affordable and lower than price from of other sari sari store.

Consistency - The opening and closing time of the store should be consistent- 5:30am to 6am in the morning and 10pm -11pm in the evening. My mother and my kuya are alternately helping me with the opening and closing of the store. 

         Those were the basic factors that I established first when I was starting my mini sari sari store. The profit or earnings may not be much but I think it's enough to cover some of my financial needs and it's a big help to me since I am still on the process of healing both mentally, physically and emotionally as well.

         Indeed, God is so gracious in redirecting my lives. I may not know what lies ahead but I have faith that God will do amazing things in the future. 

        I'll be posting and sharing more of my sari sari store experience later.
       

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

                                                                                                                     Jeremiah 29:11

          

Guys, I am also open for suggestion here if you have any. Till then.

Have a great day!

The Dog and A Funeral - My 2012 Journal

          It was December 31, 2012, I wasn’t able to go to  church last Sunday so I set an alarm on my cellphone to make sure that I’ll wake up early in the morning and go to church before the year 2012 ends. So I was up @ 6: 30 am with a morning prayer alarm on my cellphone, took a quick shower and have a few minutes walk to Sto Nino Church. I feel so great that morning as I pass through the streets greeting “happy new year”to everyone I met. I saw birds flying  from one tree to another & a butterfly on top of the flower, & a dragonfly on the grass.

          Everyone's so busy that day preparing for the new year’s eve celebration but as I arrive at the gate of the church the atmosphere changed. It was so calm and peaceful there, as I enter the gate of Sto Nino Church I saw only four people, two were outside the church - one is sweeping on the right side , the other one is lighting a candle on the left side and the remaining two were inside praying (wala kasing misa that time).

          What caught my attention was the dog sitting at the hallway near the entrance of the church but he’s friendly enough to let me pass through and sit in the middle of those empty chairs. The atmosphere was so quiet that I can only hear the birds chirping inside the church.  So I just kneel , have a few minutes of prayer & a quiet moment afterwards. Then I began to wonder & think of what the year 2013 holds for me and to prevent myself from being pessimistic again I prayed again then afterwards decided to go home. But when I was about to step outside the church, a funeral band came. The quietness and stillness of the church was greeted by the sound of music from band and when the car and all its company stops they start to prepare for its entrance. That was the only time when the dog stood up and the church workers came to organize them.

          There was nothing extraordinary that day to make me write this journal but it made me realize something. Many of us we’re so busy preparing for the new year celebration while some of us were doing the usual routines. Some are happy because we'll be celebrating the new year with our family and love ones while some are sad because they’ll be celebrating the new year without them. And the dog - I wonder what the dog thinks & feels that day hmm... just kidding.

          Time flies so fast and its been 7 years since I wrote this journal. Its 2019 - earth is revolving faster, people are getting busier, and our minds are getting filled with worries and worldly stuffs, but let us be reminded of the main core of our existence – that God created us to enjoy our lives and to serve HIM with joy in our hearts. So we just have to be still & live our lives just like the dog sitting so relax in front of the altar because at the end of our lives we’re all going to face our creator and everything else will all be just hustle and disguise.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   Psalm 46:10 NIV

Till then.
Have a great day ahead!
God Bless Everyone!!!

#throwback series post

Great News and Wonderful Gift from God

HELLO EVERYONE!

BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS

BELATED HAPPY NEW YEAR

BELATED HAPPY THREE KINGS

and

BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me.

          I miss you all. I miss this blogging world. I miss writing about anything and everything about my Big C battle and my journey to recovery but it seems our internet connection underwent chemo theraphy treatment too, "grabe ang bagal kasi, nakakainis talaga". I've been trying to construct, organize a thought and compose a post but aside poor internet connection, I felt that my brain cells declined already, "ramdam ko na po ang pagkaulyanin ko at hirap humagilap ng sasabihin." that's why it always took me 2 to 3 months to create another blogpost.

          Anyway, I am happy with my new life after my chemo but I admit I still fear the recurrence of Mr. Big C. I've experienced some sleepless nights, neck , back and pelvic pain last year so I told my mother, "mapapanatag at magkakatulog lang siguro ako ng maayos kapag nag-clear ang CT Scan." I've been praying for a good result and finally it happened last December 11. The result of my Whole Abdomen CT Scan is clear, no mass or cysts were seen in my abdominal area, only levoscoliosis and ostheophytes were noted which explains why my pelvic area is aching. I also had pneumonitis findings in my Xray result  which also explains why my back and neck were aching too. The doctor explains to me that it is normal to have those results as after effects of chemo meds. That was really really a great news to me. I felt that my heart jumped with joy when I heard that it from my doctor that day so after my check up we went to the chapel and thanked GOD for HIS wonderful gift last Christmas.

         Christmas, New Year and my Birthday were celebrated with utmost simplicity - we didn't prepare much food for these special occassion - just being alive and well with my family is enough for me to make my those occasion extra special.

         This year, I didn't make any plans or goals for myself. I just to let God plan and decide for my future and do the best I could to start a new life. I do not know what lies ahead but I know that God will do amazing things in my life.

Always To God Be the Glory.
Till then. Have a great Weekend!

Agencies/ Institutions where I seek for financial and medical assistance

           Hi guyz, sorry I haven't been around lately in this blogging world, aside from having a poor internet connection at home, I was also busy attending to my father's health condition who was diagnosed with heart aneurysm but now he's okay.
           This post is primarily intended to give idea to cancer patients like me as to where they can seek financial / medical assistance from different agencies. This post is based on my personal experience, opinion and through the help also of my family and co-patients who also shared their experiences during my Big C Battle. There maybe some changes in rules or additional requirements but atleast I can give some insights on where to go or what to prepare before you go to to these agencies.     

          Basically, you will have to prepare these requirements and bring them along with their photocopies.

          - Medical Abstract / Medical Certificate
          - Surgical Pathology / Biopsy Report
          - Record of Operation
          - Official Receipts (Hospital Bill/Professional Fees)
          - Doctor's Medical Prescription of Chemo Meds with stated schedule of cycle
          - Barangay Certificate / Certificate of Indigencies
          - House Utility Bill (Meralco/Nawasa/Maynilad)
          - Latest Payslip of employed family member
          - Photocopy of atleast 2 valid ID's
          - Forms to be accomplished in every agency you'll go
          - Ballpen & Bond Papers - you will need to write letters to the head of agencies or to whoever               you want to seek for financial/medical assistance

          Now these are the agencies/institutions where you can turn to after being diagnosed with cancer.

Public Hospitals - "Mahirap, matagal at kailangan ng mahabang pasensya sa public hospitals" but If I had time I also want to have a second opinion in Philippine General Hospital (PGH). My highschool classmate suggested that most of the cancer specialists are there but my doctor said that my cancer is aggressive and it needs an urgent operation so my mother insisted that I should stay in my hospital where I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My cousin also had a cervical center last year and was treated in Jose Reyes Memorial Center - most of her chemo meds are almost free, radiation, laboratories and brachytheraphy cost are way cheaper compared to other hospitals.

Philhealth - We all know that this agency is primarily responsible for our healthcare and hospitalization so my piece of advice - prioritize your Philhealth contribution. If you belong to indigent people you can seek for sponsorship in your municipality. If not you can pay for it immediately just like what I did when I was diagnosed with cancer last year. I was not able to use it on my surgical operation and on my 1st and 4th chemo confinement (misunderstanding and shortcomings of philhealth and admin staffs of the hospital) but I was able to use its inpatient benefits on my 5th & 6th onco confinement. I was able to get 7k+ reimbursement too few months after I gathered enough strength to file it in their office. But what I have learned about Philhealth through their website is that there are certain types of cancer under their Z benefits program like breast, colon, cervical and prostate cancer where they give 100% coverage though I'm not sure how it can be availed.

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Quezon City- Four sets of chemo meds which costs around P73,200 (P18,300/set) were granted to me by PCSO and If I had a patience and endurance to bear the pain after the operation for three days I would have had at least 50% discount on my operation/hospital bill. "Sa PCSO, kelangan tyaga talaga, 3am ang alis namin sa bahay dahil 5am pa lang mahaba na ang pila pero worth it naman ang kapalit na halaga nito." So if you plan to seek for medical and financial assistance just make sure you have the requirements I listed. "Malaki laking amount ang binibigay nila through guarantee letter sa mga hospital bills and chemo meds."

Social Security System (SSS) - The benefits I had in this agency gave me financial peace of mind after my chemo."Kahit papano nakapagbalik ako ng konting pera sa kapatid ko, nakapagbayad ng konting utang at nagkaron ako ngayon ng panggastos sa mga gamot, pagkain at konting supplements araw araw".  Though my application was decline when I first filed for it, I was granted with both sickness benefit of P33k and disability benefit of P4,750/month for more than a year on my second application in another branch. Just be sure to bring hospital records (medical abstract, record of operation and surgical pathology/biopsy report) when filing for sickness and disability claim.

(Medical) Social Welfare Services - My father was diagnosed with heart aneurysm last month and was confined in an emergency room and the laboratories and hospital confinement bill went up to P38,500 (one day lang yan). We were given 50% discount so the bill went down to P18,750 but since we only had P3,000 I went back to the social worker and asked for an additional discount and they were very considerate and gave me another discount. The bill went down to P1,500 only. Grabe, sobrang thankful kay God that day not only because of the discount that we had but with the good news that my father does not need to undergo on a bypass operation.

         After a week, I also went in our hospital (Taguig Pateros District Hospital) for check up and laboratories. As part of my monitoring CT scan, blood chem and xray are required but they are quite expensive so I opted to to go public hospital where medical social service is present. I was given a C3 rank on a card which is equivalent to 75% discount. So from 16,300 the bill went down to P3,260 (less PWD and Social Service discount).

Persons with Disability ID - This ID is a big help to cancer patients. It has a lot of privileges and discounts on foods, medicines, hospital bills, laboratories etc. and it's easy to apply - just go to PDAO (Persons with Disabilty Affairs Office) in your barangay or city hall and present your medical abstract, barangay certificate and Id picture.

Medical Assistance from DSWD & in City Hall - I also went in City Hall office for financial/medical assistance but they explain to me that they only give guarantee letter in chosen hospitals unfortunately the hospital where I was confined is not included in their list. I've talked to a social worker in our place and they told me that DSWD gives financial assistance to cancer patients. Plus our city government here in Taguig also gives free healthcare services & treatment to breast cancer patients too.

Executive, Legislative, LGU and other government offices - some of my patients I know went to the Office of the Vice President, DOH office, Office of Senators, Mayor or Vice Mayors office to ask for financial help. Guarantee letter in particular were given to them. "Tyagaan at lakasan ng loob tlaga, sabi nila." kaya warriors and fighters talaga yung mga nakilala kong kapwa pasyente.

          Having this kind of illness is really hard. It can drain you physically, emotionally, mentally and financially as well but I guess God has its own way of teaching me a lesson. "Naubos man ang savings ko, naturuan naman ako kung saan at paano makakahingi ng tulong sa ahensya at institusyon ng gobyerno at ang pinaka amazing na ginawa ni God ay yung mahipo nya ang puso ng mga taong hindi ko man kilala at nasa malalayong lugar na tumulong sa akin financially. Salamat sa Diyos at Salamat sa lahat ng tumulong sa akin. "Grabeng kumilos si God talaga."
       
         So there goes my experiences in seeking financial/medical assistance. I guess my piece of advice I can give is to be inquisitive. "Basta magtanong lang ng magtanong - sa mga ahensya at mga empleyado nito, pag nadeny ang application, magtanong sa ibang branch. Magtanong sa kapwa pasyente o kamag anak ng pasyente, maniwala kayo mas marami silang alam.

P.s. My father and I both have regular laboratory expenses done every three months, every six months, and every year ( CT Scan, CT Aortogram, Ultrasound, Blood Chem, CA 125 (tumor marker screening) aside from emergency medical circumstances that I should be prepared for when it happens. But I know that through God's wisdom and God's Grace He'll lead me and find ways to recover again.

Till then. Have a great day!
Merry Christmas & God Bless.

My Sari Sari Store Experience Part 1

         It's been 4 months already since I had my last chemo and I was getting really bored at home. I wanted to find a job, I wanted to do some hard work at home, I wanted to do something else aside from the usual chores at home but my mother keeps on telling me - "Magrelax ka lang, magpahinga o matulog ka lang pag gusto mo or kelangan mong magpagaling muna bago ka magtrabaho." but I can't relax . "Pag nakahiga ako ramdam ko lalo ang sakit ng katawan ko at feeling ko nagsisimula na naman kumalat ang cancer sa katawan since may microscopic element ng cancer na naiwan pa nung nagka-surgical spill during the operation." I think more of cancer recurrence when I'm lying on my bed.  I told my mother I needed to do something else that would occupy both my mind and my body instead of thinking about the cancer inside my body over and over again. That's when I decided to put up a small sari sari store.

           Yes I now have a sari sari store in a small entrance area in our house where our washing machine, shoe rack and other stuff are located. So instead of accumulating some stuffs there I put on a built in cabinet to make the area productive. The built in cabinet materials and labor cost around P 1,600+ and my start up capital on my store is P 2,500+. The profit may not be much since I only put P1.00+ - P3.00+ mark up on every items but its enough to keep me busy.

             I have two major suki in my store - my family and the kids in our area. The concept of self buying is primarily the reason why I put up a store. I've seen the credit card bills of my mother go up and my father and brother usually buy products from other stores. So to control my mother and myself too from unnecessary spending in grocery store I just sell the basic products that we use and buy it in my store when we need it of course with a few cents added on its price ( kelangan may konting kita kahit kami kami ang bibili, heheh). My second reason is for leisure."Nakakalibang sya since a lot of kids were always shouting "Pabili" with one peso on their hand buying only one candy or one stick-o, heheh." And my third reason is for income generating. My family were all against the idea of putting up a store - malulugi ka lang, mauubos ka dyan, uutangan ka lang dyan but I answered them, let me  give it a try. Sari sari stores are everywhere, if others were putting up their store even if they are renting the place why not do the same - siguro may kita sila kahit umuupa.

          I've opened up my store last week and I'm in a process of knowing what products and brands are saleable. Yung tipong bumili ako ng Nescafe 3 in 1, ang hinanap Nescafe creamy white, pagbili ko ng Creamy White ang hinanap, Kopiko Brown, pagbili ko ng Kopiko Brown ang hinanap Great Taste White, Pagbili ko ng Great Taste white, Kopiko Blanca naman, then LA Coffee, then Kopiko Black and so on and so forth, the same goes with other products. That's why I always have notebook on my store to list the products and brands they want. But I am enjoying it and I'm getting more customers lately. I'm getting busier attending to my store and searching for grocery stores that offers the lowest price.
           There goes my new experience in putting up a sari sari store. I hope I'd be able to roll over my puhunan and be able to grow my little sari sari store. Give me some tips and wish me luck guys!!!

            Thank God for giving me an opportunity to enter this new business and pray that He'll continue to guide me.

Have a great week ahead!
God Bless everyone.

ALWAYS TO GOD BE THE GLORY!