THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 TO THE INCOME OF WET MARKET

VENDORS IN BARANGAY DOROLUMAN

Chapter 1

Introduction

Today, wet market vendors are experiencing challenges with their work.

Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) affected many businesses in all aspects,

especially their means of income. Many vendors are struggling to cope with

the pandemic that resulted for some to stop and find another business to

pursue admist the crisis. ‘Wet market’ is a collective term for heterogeneous

businesses: the adjective ‘wet’ relates to the water and ice to keep product

premises cool and clean. Most sell vegetables, meat, poultry or fish; some sell

and slaughter live animals; some sell wildlife and exotic animals. Wet markets

have come under scrutiny amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the

COVID-19 pandemic, wet markets have been widely portrayed as hotspots for

the transmission of disease from animals to humans– banning them seems

like a pragmatic decision.

Given the impact of COVID-19, we are being re-educated and updated

on safe practices in the workplace, social settings, shopping, and daily life.
Quarantine and physical distancing have become imperative. Although, the

need to obtain food continues, grocery stores, farmers markets, and roadside.

Through this study, we will be able to find the effects of COVID-19 to

the income of the wet market vendors in a certain barangay. We will be able to

find aid and we can give the government any heads up to the situation of the

market vendors.
Background of the Study

In response to the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World

Health Organization (WHO), the Bangladeshi government announced a

country-wide shut down and adopted various steps to control the spread of

COVID-19, beginning in March 2020. Findings from the World Food

Programme Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (WFP VAM) remote market

monitoring indicate that prices of certain food items in six markets across

Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram districts began to rise in late March due to the

outbreak of COVID-19 in Bangladesh and the preventative measures that have

been put in place to control its spread. Following the rapid imposition of these

preventative measures on the interactions of people, goods, and services, a

number of impacts on market functionality can be anticipated, which are

important to understand and analyze in order to be able to support potentially

vulnerable households – both vendors and customers – during these times of

economic uncertainty. In April 2019, Racial and Ethnic Approaches to

Community Health (REACH) implemented a qualitative vendor survey to

understand how market dynamics, supply chains and demand for goods are

being affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and associated preventative

measures in the host community in Cox’s Bazar district.

The Philippines has been severely affected by the coronavirus disease

(COVID-19) crisis. As of December, 2020 COVID-19 has spread throughout

the country, with over 440,000 confirmed cases and 8,500 deaths. In addition
to the direct health effects from transmission of COVID-19, there is growing

evidence that the pandemic, and the actions taken to control the virus have

caused severe economic and social effects. This report summarizes the early

evidence of COVID-19 in the Philippines on a range of outcomes at the

household level including employment, income, food consumption, food

security, social protection, mental health, and gender equality. The report then

presents additional evidence from primary data collection of the impact of the

COVID-19 crisis on households with children in the NCR.

In particular, we assess the impact of the crisis on these households’

general welfare, access to education, access to essential health services, and

child protection. The report also presents evidence on the government’s efforts

to mitigate the impact of the crisis through the use of emergency social

assistance. Despite these measures, early evidence indicates that the

economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis are likely severe.

Macroeconomic indicators suggest that the Philippines economy is undergoing

a severe contraction. In the first quarter of 2020, real gross domestic product

(GDP) contacted by 0.2 per cent and in October the International Monetary

Fund revised its forecasted growth rate for the Philippines economy to

negative 8.3 per cent. A nationwide survey of micro, small, and medium

enterprises conducted by the United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP) in May found that 71 percent of these enterprises in the sample had

closed due to the lockdown.

 By region, NCR-based firms accounted for 49.9% of temporarily closed

enterprises, followed by firms in Calabarzon (14.3%) and Central Visayas

(7.2%). Meanwhile, 61.2% of those operating fully were in the NCR, followed

by firms in Calabarzon (15.3%) and Central Visayas (7.1%). Enterprises with

limited operations were concentrated in the NCR (47.5%), followed by

Calabarzon (13.4%) and Central Visayas (8.0%). For NCR-based firms, 66.3%

temporarily closed their business, 4.9% remained fully open, 27.9% opened

but with limited operations, and 1.0% closed permanently. COVID-19 and

associated containment measures triggered a sharp decline in April sales for

most enterprises. Sales in wholesale and retail trade were most affected, both

by decreased value (those closed) and increased value (those servicing

special demand). NCR-based firms accounted for around half of those with

decreasing sales values. The COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown measures led

to a sharp decline in April sales (80.4% on average by value) compared with

March for 76.8% of enterprises surveyed (Figure 12). Sales remained the

same for 22.1% of enterprises. Only 1.2% reported an increase in April sales

(23.8% on average) as they supplied households with essential needs after the

lockdown began.
Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the effects of COVID-19 to the income of

wet market vendors in Barangay Doroluman. It sought to answer the following

questions:

1. What is the effect of COVID-19 to the continuing business of wet market

vendors?

2. What is the effect of COVID-19 to the income of wet market vendors?

3. What is the most difficult problem the business establishments are facing

during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Objective of the Study

This study aims to determine the effects of COVID-19 to the income of

wet market vendors in Barangay Doroluman. Also, it determines the effect to

the continuing of business and to the purchasing of products to sell for the wet

market vendors.
Significance of the Study

This study focuses on the effect of COVID-19 to the income of wet

market vendors in. This study will be beneficial to the following:

To the Future Researchers, this study will serve as a useful reference

for them to understand the effects of the COVID-19 to the income of wet

market vendors, which in return they will become knowledgeable to the past

events of this generation.

To the Wet Market Vendors, this will serve as there guide on how to

cope with the situation they are in and to find another means of income for

them.

To the Government Officials, this study provides an informative and

useful data that may help them be prepared to any situation they will be facing

in the future that is related to the issue that can affect the daily income of the

wet market vendors in Barangay Doroluman or to other places.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study aims to determine the effects of COVID-19 to the income of

wet market vendors. The respondents will be the wet market vendors of

Barangay Doroluman.
Definition of Terms

COVID-19 – is an infectious disease that affects the income of the wet market

vendors.

Income – the money that what wet market vendors receive in exchange for

producing a good or service.

Wet Market Vendors – are vendors that sell on an open marketplace with

stalls of vegetables and fresh meats mostly found in Asia.

 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter consists of the review of related literature, the framework

itself including its presentation in the form of a paradigm, the hypotheses, and

the discussion on key variables.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak is a sharp reminder that pandemics, like other

rarely occurring catastrophes, have happened in the past and will continue to

happen in the future. Even if we cannot prevent dangerous viruses from

emerging, we should prepare to dampen their effects on society. The current

outbreak has had severe economic consequences across the globe, and it

does not look like any country will be unaffected. This not only has

consequences for the economy; all of society is affected, which has led to

dramatic changes in how businesses act and consumers behave. This special

issue is a global effort to address some of the pandemic-related issues

affecting society. In total, there are 13 papers that cover different industry

sectors (e.g., tourism, retail, higher education), changes in consumer behavior

and businesses, ethical issues, and aspects related to employees and

leadership. (Jorda, Singh, & Taylor, 2020). In addition to Donthu and

Gustafsson (2020), the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has forced many

businesses to close, leading to an unprecedented disruption of commerce in

most industry sectors. Retailers and brands face many short-term challenges,

such as those related to health and safety, the supply chain, the workforce,

cash flow, consumer demand, sales, and marketing. However, successfully

navigating these challenges will not guarantee a promising future, or any future

at all. This is because once we get through this pandemic, we will emerge in a

very different world compared to the one before the outbreak. Many markets,

especially in the fields of tourism and hospitality, no longer exist. All

organizational functions are intended to prioritize and optimize spending or

postpone tasks that will not bring value in the current environment.

Companies, especially start-ups, have implemented an indefinite hiring freeze.

At the same time, online communication, online entertainment, and online

shopping are seeing unprecedented growth.

Consumer Behavior

Around the globe, societies are in lockdown, and citizens are asked to

respect social distance and stay at home. As we are social beings, isolation

may be harmful for us (Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2009). Feelings of loneliness

have, among other things, been connected to poorer cognitive performance,

negativity, depression, and sensitivity to social threats. There are indications

that this is happening during the current pandemic, as there has been an

increase in domestic violence, quarrels among neighbors, and an increase in

the sales of firearms (Campbell, 2020). However, according to (Seth & Jagdish

2020), “Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behavior: Will the Old Habits

Return or Die?”, It explores how the current pandemic has affected several

aspects of consumers’ lives, ranging from personal mobility to retail shopping,

attendance at major life events like marriage ceremonies, having children, and

relocation. Consumers learn to adapt quickly and take an improvised approach

to overcome constraints that have been imposed by governments. Pent-up

demand may lead to a significant rebound in sales of durable products, like

automobiles, houses, and large appliances, and some of the realities of

COVID-19 will put consumers in a buying mood soon.

Markets

The COVID-19 outbreak is likely to cause bankruptcy for many well-

known brands in many industries as consumers stay at home and economies

are shut down (Tucker, 2020). In the US, famous companies such as Sears,

JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, Hertz, and J. Crew are under enormous financial

pressure. The travel industry is deeply affected; 80% of hotel rooms are empty,
airlines cut their workforce by 90%, and tourism destinations are likely to see

no profits in 2020. Furthermore, expos, conferences, sporting events, and

other large gatherings as well as cultural establishments such as galleries and

museums have been abruptly called off. Consulting in general and personal

services, like hairdressers, gyms, and taxis, have also come to a standstill due

to lockdowns. Finally, important industries like the car, truck, and electronics

industries have abruptly closed (although they started to open up two months

after their closure). There are an endless number of questions we could ask

ourselves in connection to this rather abrupt close-down. For instance, how do

we take care of employees in such situations? Why are companies not better

prepared to handle such situations (e.g., putting aside earnings or thinking of

alternative sources of income)? How are the companies and even countries

using the current situation to enhance their competitive situation? One of the

countries that seem to be using the situation is China that is buying European

based infrastructure and technology (Rapoza, Asmelash & Cooper, 2020).

While some businesses are struggling, some businesses are thriving.

This is true for a number of Internet-based businesses, such as those related

to online entertainment, food delivery, online shopping, online education, and

solutions for remote work. People have also changed their consumption

patterns, increasing the demand for takeout, snacks, and alcohol as well as

cleaning products as we spend more time in our homes. Other industries that

are doing well are those related to healthcare and medication as well as herbs
and vitamins. Typically, when studying markets, it is assumed that they are

static, a natural conclusion since they tend to change slowly. However, if there

is one thing the COVID-19 outbreak has shown us, it is that markets are

dynamic and can move rapidly (Jaworski, Kohli, & Sahay, 2020).

Theoretical Framework

To understand the potential negative economic impact of COVID-19, it

is important to understand the economic transmission channels through which

the shocks will adversely affect the economy. According to Carlsson-Szlezak

et al. (2020), there are three main transmission channels. The first is the direct

impact, which is related to the reduced consumption of goods and services.

Prolonged lengths of the pandemic and the social distancing measures might

reduce consumer confidence by keeping consumers at home, wary of

discretionary spending and pessimistic about the long-term economic

prospects. The second one is the indirect impact working through financial

market shocks and their effects on the real economy. Household wealth will

likely fall, savings will increase, and consumption spending will decrease

further. The third consists of supply-side disruptions; as COVID-19 keeps

production halted, it will negatively impact supply chains, labour demand, and

employment, leading to prolonged periods of lay-offs and rising

unemployment. In particular, Baldwin (2020) discussesthe expectation shock

by which there is a “wait-and-see” attitude adopted by economic agents. The

author argues that this is common during economic climates characterized by

uncertainties, as there is less confidence in markets and economic

transactions. Ultimately, the intensity of the shock is determined by the

underlying epidemiological properties of COVID-19, consumer and firm

behavior in the face of adversity, and public policy responses. Gourinchas

(2020, p. 33) summarizes the effect on the economy by stating: “A modern

economy is a complex web of interconnected parties: employees, firms,

suppliers, consumers, and financial intermediaries. Everyone is someone

else’s employee, customer, lender, etc.” Due to the very high degrees of inter-

connectiveness and specialization of productive activities, a breakdown in the

supply chains and the circular flows will have a cascading effect. Baldwin

(2020) describes the impact of COVID-19 on the flows of income in the

economy. First, households do not get paid and hence reduce their

consumption and savings levels. The decrease in savings reduce investment

and hence ultimately diminish the capital stock.26 Second, households reduce

their demand for imports, which in turn reduces income for the rest of the

World, and hence the country’s exports decrease. Third, the demand/supply

shocks cause disruption in domestic and international supply chains. Fourth,

all of the previous shocks and disruptions lead to a fall in output – causing

reductions in the usage of the factors of production. In this case, labor is more
affected than capital through reduced working hours or layoffs and hence

lower earnings.

Conceptual Framework

INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT
VARIABLE VARIABLE

Income of
The Effect of Wet market
Covid-19 vendors

The figure shows the interaction of variables in the study. The

independent variable is composed of the COVID-19 and the dependent

variable is the wet market vendors. It points out the effect of the covid-19 to the

income of wet market vendors. The independent variable, COVID-19, is a

disease that has originated from Wuhan, China and now devastated the whole

world, affects education, investments, and business from continuing. The

dependent variable, wet market vendors are the respondents of our study.

Continuing the business of wet market vendors during pandemic, it affects

their business. Decreasing their customer count, decrease in products to sale

and selling products higher than their regular price.

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes the method used, sources of data, data gathering

instrument, population and sampling technique, and procedure of the study.

Method Used

The study is a quantitative research. The study used survey

questionnaire to determine the effect of COVID-19 to the income of wet market

vendors in Barangay Doroluman, Arakan, Cotabato.

Sources of Data

The respondents of the study were the wet market vendors of Barangay

Doroluman, Arakan, Cotabato. There are 16 respondents which were involved

in the study.

Data Gathering Instrument

 In gathering the data for this study, the researchers used a

questionnaire that was validated and confirmed by the adviser as the main

data gathering tool. The questionnaire was written in English and was

supported with an informal interview with the respondents to substantiate

gathered data from the questionnaire. It was composed of 2 parts. The first

part dealt with the socio-demographic profile of the respondents. The second

part dealt with the effects of COVID-19 to the income of wet market vendors in

Barangay Doroluman, Arakan, Cotabato.

Population and Sampling Technique

The study was conducted to 16 wet market vendors in Barangay

Doroluman, Arakan, Cotabato. The study used Convenience Sampling

Technique.

Procedure of the Study

The researchers has constructed a questionnaire checklist, validated

by the subject teacher then the questionnaire checklists are distributed. The

researchers wrote a letter addressed to the Barangay Captain, received by

Barangay Secretary, to get the total number of the respondents. The

researchers conducted the research in the wet market of Barangay

Doroluman, Arakan, Cotabato through survey, because of the advantages of

the survey method. The researcher explain to the respondents the importance

of their respondents to the study.

 Chapter 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presents the interpretation and analysis of the data

obtained from 16 respondents of Wet Market Vendors. The choices of the

respondents in response to the perception are strongly agree, moderately

agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree.

Table 1 The Mean Distribution on the Extent of Effect of COVID-19 to the Income

of Wet Market Vendors.

The Table 1 shows the mean distribution of the effect of COVID-19 to

the income of wet market vendors. Data revealed that the overall mean is 3.42

which have a descriptive interpretation of agree. The grand mean implies that

the wet market vendors experience great problems with their income while

continuing their business during pandemic.

STATEMENTS MEAN DESCRIPTIVE

INTERPRETATION

1. Rent payments were pushed back during 2.81 Agree

Enhanced Community Quarantine.

2. Debt payments due are hard to meet 2.81 Agree

during Enhanced Community Quarantine.

Table 1. continued
STATEMENTS MEAN DESCRIPTIVE

INTERPRETATION

3. Receiving/Finding funds were hard during 3.06 Agree

Enhanced Community Quarantine.

4. Sale status has declined. 3.38 Agree

5. Earning a profit is hard during Enhanced 3.68 Moderately Agree

Community Quarantine.

6. COVID-19 has greatly affected your 4.18 Moderately Agree

income.

7. Low costumer rate resulting to low 3.87 Moderately Agree

income.

8. Income does not meet your 3.31 Agree

forecasted/assumed income.

9. There is a shortage of goods/supplies 3.5 Agree

resulting to less income.

10. Good’s/Supply’s prices have drastically 3.62 Moderately Agree

increased during pandemic.

Grand Mean 3.42 Agree

Legend: 1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Agree 4 – Moderately Agree

5 –Strongly Agree

The Table 2 shows the effect of COVID-19 to the continuing business of

wet market vendors. The following are moderately agreed effects of COVID-19

to the business of wet market vendors: earning a profit is hard during

Enhanced Community Quarantine with a mean distribution of 3.67; COVID-19

has greatly affected your income with a mean distribution of 4.18; low

customer rate resulting to low income with a mean distribution of 3.87; and

good’s/supply’s prices have drastically increased during pandemic which has a

mean distribution of 3.62.

Table 2 Effect of COVID-19 to the continuing business of wet market vendors

STATEMENTS MEAN DESCRIPTIVE

INTERPRETATION

1. Rent payments were pushed back 2.81 Agree

during Enhanced Community Quarantine.

2. Debt payments due are hard to meet 2.81 Agree

during Enhanced Community Quarantine.

3. Receiving/Finding funds were hard 3.06 Agree

during Enhanced Community Quarantine.

4. Sale status has declined. 3.38 Agree

5. Earning a profit is hard during Enhanced 3.68 Moderately Agree

Community Quarantine.

6. COVID-19 has greatly affected your 4.18 Moderately Agree

income.

7. Low costumer rate resulting to low 3.87 Moderately Agree

income.

8. Income does not meet your 3.31 Agree

forecasted/assumed income.
 Table 2. continued

STATEMENTS MEAN DESCRIPTIVE

INTERPRETATION

9. There is a shortage of goods/supplies 3.5 Agree

resulting to less income.

10. Good’s/Supply’s prices have drastically 3.62 Moderately Agree

increased during pandemic.

Grand Mean 3.42 Agree

Legend: 1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Agree 4 – Moderately Agree

5 –Strongly Agree

The Table 3 shows the most difficult problem the business

establishments are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data revealed that

the overall mean is 3.91 which has a descriptive interpretation of moderately

agree. The result implies that among the factors, wet market vendors had

much difficulty resulting to low income. In addition to Donthu and Gustafsson

(2020), the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has forced many businesses to

close, leading to an unprecedented disruption of commerce in most industry

sectors. Retailers and brands face many short-term challenges, such as those

related to health and safety, the supply chain, the workforce, cash flow,

consumer demand, sales, and marketing. However, successfully navigating

these challenges will not guarantee a promising future or any future at all. This
is because once we get through this pandemic; we will emerge in a very

different world compared to the one before the outbreak. Many markets,

especially in the fields of tourism and hospitality, no longer exist. All

organizational functions are intended to prioritize and optimize spending or

postpone tasks that will not bring value in the current environment.

Companies, especially start-ups, have implemented an indefinite hiring freeze.

At the same time, online communication, online entertainment, and online

shopping are seeing unprecedented growth.

Table 3 Difficulties faced by the business establishment during COVID-19

pandemic

STATEMENTS MEAN DESCRIPTIVE

INTERPRETATION

1. Earning a profit is hard during 3.68 Moderately Agree

Enhanced Community Quarantine.

2. COVID-19 has greatly affected your 4.18 Moderately Agree

income.

3. Low customer rate resulting to low 3.87 Moderately Agree

income

Grand Mean 3.91 Moderately Agree

Legend: 1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Agree 4 – Moderately Agree

5 –Strongly Agree
 Chapter 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

This study entitled “The Effect of COVID-19 to the Income of Wet

Market Vendors of Barangay Doroluman” was conducted to determine the

effect of COVID-19 pandemic to the income of those who are in business

world especially to the wet market vendors. Specifically, this study was

answered the following questions: what is the effect of COVID-19 to the

continuing business of wet market vendors; what is the effect of COVID-19 to

the income of wet market vendors; and what is the most difficult problem the

business establishments are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research laid out convenience sampling to identify the factors that

affects the income of wet market vendors. The research utilized questionnaires

to gather data. The study found out that the income of the wet market vendors

was really affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, it is safe to conclude that the Wet

Market Vendors of Barangay Doroluman, Arakan, Cotabato experienced great

problems with their income while continuing their business during pandemic.

The effects of COVID-19 to Wet Market Vendors is that they hardly earned

profit during enhanced community quarantine, COVID-19 has greatly affected

their income, low customer rate resulting to low income, and goods/supplies

prices have drastically increased during pandemic. Therefore, the respondents

moderately agreed that COVID-19 affects their income.

Recommendation

The researchers therefore recommend the following:

1. To the Wet Market Vendors, since COVID-19 is still far from being

finished, they can find other alternatives to gain more income for their

business. They can either plant their own vegetables to sell or theiy can

develop other ideas for their business like rather than waiting for

customers they can just deliver it from house to house or other

alternatives.

2. To the Government Officials, they need to assess the sources of their

wet market vendors’ products, initiate symposiums that might help the

vendors to find alternatives for their source of daily income, establish

greenhouses that vendors can use for their own source of vegetable to

sell.