Challenges Affecting Carinderia Business amidst COVID-19 Pandemic:

A Case Study in Bustos, Bulacan

Del Valle, Joy Ericka

Irabagon, Patricia Aein
Macapinlac, Marc Ashley
Manahan, Jimwell
Villanueva, Christian Lloyd
Introduction

Hospitality establishments are the amalgam of products and services (Mok et al., 2013). It

shows the level of satisfaction provided by the business concerning its customers. The traits of

Filipinos towards their visitors are undeniably exceptional. That is the reason why the adjective

“hospitable” is the most common terminology that describes Filipinos. It is certainly a trademark

of Filipinos and indeed a part of the history and culture.

This trait is indeed a key factor when it comes to running a carinderia business.

Nowadays, people prefer to take their meals outside to lessen their time spent preparing,

processing, and cooking dishes at home. Employees also choose fast foods, eateries, and

restaurants to feed themselves. Choosing from different options is something that people will not

do only at dinnertime but also at breakfast and lunch. That is why the appearance of hospitality

businesses is popping left and right in different places around the world.

The Philippines is one of the developing countries in Southeast Asia, which has a large

informal sector comprised of micro-enterprises and many poor people. Many of these are small

vendors operating in public markets and large families with minimal resources that rely heavily

on various financing sources to survive their living (Kondo, 2003).

Eatery business including carinderias, are one of the well-known sources of income and

eating places for every Filipino family because of the wide range of dishes served with an

affordable price range. Most carinderia owners, at least three years already in the business,

suggested that for them to survive, it is necessary to learn how to manage expenses and do proper

budgeting. Carinderia owners are primarily female, aged 41-50, married, high school graduate,

with 4-6 household members and 1-2 who earn less than two years or new in the business with a
maximum of Php 20,000 monthly sales. The monthly sales from most carinderia owners are not

enough to meet their business needs which would cause them to resort to financing (Rodavia et

al., 2020).

In the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many micro, small, and medium

enterprises (MSMEs) have struggled to navigate the ongoing crisis, including the operational and

financial challenges.

The micro-retailers in a Rapid Retailers Assessment conducted by the Philippine

Association of Stores and Carinderia Owners (Pasco), revealed that 75 percent of carinderias

were forced to close during the lockdown. In comparison, others had to downsize their

operations by up to 90 percent drastically. It also showed an overwhelming feeling of

“helplessness” due to the lack of available information on how and when to reopen their business

safely and steadily (The Manila Times, 2020).

Magkilat (2020) also explained that the primary concern for all manufacturers is food

safety, but this should encompass measures to stop the coronavirus. Still, there is evidence that it

can remain viable on particular surfaces for a long time and very unpredictable situation.

The hospitality industry had never seen a situation like the current pandemic. The

industry needs to acknowledge that there are no “experts” on this pandemic or crisis. Just a group

of sectors is trying their best to figure out how to navigate a challenging situation like this,

McCarthy (2020) added.

Primary objective of a carinderia business is to provide comfort and satisfaction to its

customers with its best. The following articles and discussions will provide insights into the

hospitality businesses, especially in the eatery business. In this notion, the purpose of this study
is to determine the challenges affecting eatery business amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in

Bustos, Bulacan.