SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECT OF THE

PANDEMIC TO THE STREET

Group 2: Angelica A. Suyom

Chapter l

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study

During lockdown the socio-economic rights institutes of the city of Isabela City represented a
group of traders who were essentially being ‘punished for their poverty”. Street
vendors, market traders and market porters earn their incomes in public, often crowded space.
The establishment of local and national lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19 is
threatening not just the livelihood but the very survival of informal vendors and their families
in some places.

Local and national governments must find ways to meet the urgent financial and help needs
of these workers. The best way to find practical and appropriate ways to do this is for
decision-makers to work with street vendor organizations, associations and
cooperatives.These grassroots groups know best what is needed. The government has
promised a larger cash grant for own account workers, which includes most vendors, but this
has yet to materialize. The lockdown is expected to last through June, leaving many in
desperate economic circumstances.

Street vendors were already suffering from reduced demand from customers afraid to
purchased from them for fear of infection. There was a brief bump in sales after the
quarantine order was announced in March as the public rushed to purchase food. Now, only
those vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables are allowed to remain. Some vendors have
been blocked from selling because they do not have ID. cards that prove they are food
vendors.

Theoretical Framework

Street vendors were already suffering from reduced demand from customers afraid to
purchase from them to fear of contagion. There was a brief bump in sales after quarantine
order was announced in March as the public rushed to purchased food. Now, only those
vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables are allowed to remain, of these some have been
blocked from selling because they do not have I.D cards that prove they are food vendors.
Vendors who continue to work report a shortage of hand sanitizers and water in the market.

Conceptual Framework

Respondents
Statement of the Problem

1. How did the pandemic change street vending practices in Isabela City, Basilan?

2.How did the pandemic affect the social well-being of Isabela City street vendors?

3. How did the pandemic impact the families of Isabela City street vendors?

4. What are the resources of the street vendors in sufficing their everyday necessities?

5. What are the means of the street vendors in terms of coping up with the challenges

brought by the pandemic?

Objectives of the study

A. To determine the level of income loss experienced by street vendors in Isabela

City, Basilan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

B. To identify the changes in employment status among street vendors in Isabela City,

Basilan as a result of the pandemic.

gender, age, product type) in Isabela City, Basilan during the pandemic.

D. Determine the source of income of the street vendors.

E. Discuss on the manner and strategies vendors are coping up with the challenges brought by

the pandemic.

Hypothesis

1. Hypothesis 1 (Income): Street vendors in Isabela City, Basilan experienced a

statistically significant decrease in income during the COVID-19 pandemic compared

to pre-pandemic levels.

2. Hypothesis 2 (Employment): The COVID-19 pandemic led to a statistically

significant increase in unemployment or underemployment among street vendors in

Isabela City, Basilan.

3. Hypothesis 3 (Coping Mechanisms): Street vendors in Isabela City, Basilan who

utilized diverse coping mechanisms (e.g., diversification of income sources, seeking

community support) experienced less severe negative socio-economic impacts during

the pandemic than those who did not.

COVID-19 pandemic was significantly associated with reduced negative socio-

economic impacts among street vendors in Isabela City, Basilan.

5. Hypothesis 5 (Long-Term Effects): The COVID-19 pandemic will have long-term

negative socio-economic consequences for street vendors in Isabela City, Basilan,

leading to persistent income insecurity and reduced overall well-being even after the

immediate health crisis has subsided.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is significant as for the researcher to know the effects of the pandemic to

the street vendors, their way of living and how they’re meeting their needs in the day-to-day

basis. This study is also important to us, researchers, how were street vendors able to adopt

the new norm as the Pandemic brought and so, what is their way of livelihood give with the

new norm in this trying time. This study is significant to the LGU, the DEPARTMENT OF

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT. This will also be a reference to the,

BARANGAY LOCAL GOVERNMENT, Department of Health, National Government

Agencies, and even the non-government organizations concerned, to provide interventions in

addressing such undertaking.

Scope: This study focuses on the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on

street vendors operating within Isabela City, Basilan. It will examine the period from the

initial implementation of pandemic-related restrictions in the Philippines to a specified post-

pandemic timeframe (e.g., six months, one year post-major restrictions). The research will

analyze changes in income, employment, and access to social support, exploring coping

mechanisms and the overall impact on the well-being of street vendors and their families.

Data collection will primarily involve surveys and interviews with a representative sample of

street vendors in Isabela City.

Delimitations: This study is delimited to street vendors within Isabela City, Basilan, and does

not encompass other informal sector workers or vendors in other areas. The research will

focus primarily on the direct economic impacts of the pandemic and will not extensively

explore other factors such as the psychological effects or the impact on the broader Basilan

economy. The findings will be based on the data collected and may not be generalizable to

other regions or contexts. The study's timeframe is limited to the period specified above, and

long-term, evolving impacts beyond that period are outside the scope of this research.

Finally, the sample size and selection method will influence the generalizability of the

findings.
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