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We’ve all seen him before, tucked inside his ambulant stall, always busy yet always smiling. But who, exactly, is the man behind it all? Here, we introduce Vicente – more so known as the owner of the ‘pisbulan sa tabi ng Metrohair’. – Perfecio

“O, marami kayong bibilhin, ha.” The jeer easily rolls from a bystander’s tongue, easily joking about how we should compensate our interviewee with a little barter.

On April 25, a scorching hot afternoon after a couple of short classes, we headed to the stall smack dab in the middle of Centtro Mall and Metrohair, right in front of what some of us know as Rus Lights and Sounds. It was perfect – apart from the heat, of course. He had only a couple of customers who seemed intrigued in what we would ask about ‘Manong Pisbol’.

THE HERO’S BACKSTORY

Manong Vicente, as he introduced himself to us, sported a smile – just as he always does. I’ve been to his stall a few times, buying from his assortment of unhealthy yet equally as tempting piles of fried food. We watch him in earnest as he professionally cooks his merchandise: adjusting the heat, making sure none of them dry out or cook too much, pokes them with his stick at the customer’s beck and call. As interesting as the process was, we had to ask the basics.

He first states that he is from Bay, Laguna – to which we had the smallest bonding moment, considering I am also from the same municipality. Thirty-six, he adds, smile still so blinding even as oil incessantly splashed on his skin. It must be a product of how used he was to the sensation – even pain can be numbed down and ignored, once you get used to it. The calloused hands show years of work, not only in his stainless steel stall, but also in his hometown.

“Taga-Isabela ako dati,” he shares, prodding the floating pieces of kikiam to check if they were still raw, “bukid-bukid lang.” Coming from a family of farmers, Manong Vicente is part of the Philippines’ agricultural sector that chose to shift from planting, harvesting, and processing, to gambling in a city far from home. He says that he has no one here apart from his current family; going to the city with nobody there to welcome you or show you the ropes can truly be terrifying, especially at the young age of 24, not having finished anything but his high school degree. Mang Vicente simply shrugs it off and flashes that seemingly permanent smile – “Wala, ito lang talaga trabaho ko, noon pa… wala tayong magagawa, wala tayong natapos, eh,” – his motivation for 4 PM to 7 PM work, as he says, is necessity, and the drive to provide for his family.

THE JOURNEY

Adjusting to a life so different from his old one must’ve been difficult for Mang Vicente, seeing as how he momentarily stilled as he reminisced. Twelve years – he has worked with the same stall at around the same vicinity for twelve years now, starting at the same year he moved to Bay.

“Palipat-lipat. Minsan doon, minsan dito, pero dito lang sa area na ‘to – sa Lopez lang.” Here, he met his wife, whose name he did not disclose – but he does say a bit about his only child, a daughter. With his hard work and perseverance, he is able to provide for his small family of three: his wife, his daughter, and himself – he even paid of his wife’s procedure when she went into labor, which a very costly and dangerous caesarean birth. To this, he laughs, and shoves eight fishballs into a small paper cup for his customer. One child is enough, he says – “caesarean, eh.”

While his profit seems to be enough to provide for his family, and he confirms this by saying that, yes, he did gather enough money to send his kid to school, feed them, clothe them, shelter them, and cover every necessity; however, there was sadness in his eye as we spoke. “Sapat lang,” he murmurs with a good-natured look, even if I knew he wanted to say so much more. I could guess what he was thinking then, even as he refused to elaborate; there must me a will in him to do more, not only for himself, but also his family. He wants his daughter to finish her studies – she’s smart, and he believes that she will be able to do well in the world of professionals.

NEW HORIZONS

While Mang Vicente has no plans to move to a different job, he shows a fondness for this particular one. His favorite moment is when customers flock to his stall and buy all of his snacks until he runs out – what a work ethic! He says that customers have never been upset at him. However, he has been upset at some customers. Why? “Dinodoble kasi sawsaw. Isa lang dapat.”