Little Ariel
New Year’s Day should be happy and prosperous. It is a time to welcome the next 365 days in an explosive and festive mood. But for a mother and child on a footbridge across a major expressway in Metro Manila, it is business as usual. Twenty-nine-year-old single mom Tess Orasa sets up her mini store beside a carton fruit box where her three-year-old son Ariel soundly sleeps. This was a typical day for them. Tess and Ariel, who lives in a small rented room without toilet, would wake up early and bring their boxes, crates and merchandise to be able to sell candies, cigarettes, fruits, or bread to pedestrians crossing the footbridge on their way to work, market or school. Ariel then catches up with his sleep on a carton box beside his mom or just play along the footbridge within his mother’s view. Ariel grew up fatherless. His mom’s partner abandoned them when Tess got pregnant with Ariel. But despite everything, Tess tries to give little Ariel toys to play with. And on new year’s day, Ariel got a new plastic blue robot. They may not have all the expensive items in the world, but they have each other. Priceless!
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Benjie P
Benjie Pena, or simply Benjie, 35, is from Liliw, Laguna. He has a nine-year-old daughter. His wife, Lailanie runs a ready-to-wear dress shop just across from his barber shop. Benjie, a self-taught barber, has been cutting hair since 1997. He shares the shop with another barber from Bicol and splits the 4,000 pesos rental a month. Benjie cuts and trims the locks of between 10 to 33 people a day. He once had 60 customers in one day and experienced leg cramps. Benjie narrated a time when he was just starting as a barber. He had forgotten to put the barber’s cape around his customer and he only noticed halfway. Benjie said he apologized to the customer who instead of getting mad, had a good laugh even though he was left with hair all over his shirt. “Tawa lang siya ng tawa”. The customer just kept laughing. The customer simply assumed that his shop did not have a cape at all.
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Randy
Randy Abendanio, 30, or Randy is from Pili, Camarines Sur. He rents the space for 3,500 a month at his Uncle Ed’s shop called Ed Barbershop. He started cutting hair when he was 15 years old. He has a 2-year-old son Raven with Railyn, his live-in partner for five years. He has two more barber brothers where he learned his skills. He has 10-40 customers a day and once cut hair for 55 customers for 12 hours. He attends to each customer while his roosters crow. Randy, a part time ‘sabungero’ or cockfighting aficionado, takes a break after a job to feed his roosters nearby. But he said “Trabaho ang priority, bago ang sabong” or work is my priority, cockfighting is only second.
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Benjie B
Benjie Balucos , 33, from Bacolod, Negros Occidental shares Je-Ann’s Barber Shop with his live-in partner Aniceta who provides manicure and pedicure services. The shop was named after their 10-year old daughter Je-Ann. Benjie, who learned the trade from experience, started cutting hair in 2003. He has a brother who is into carpentry but also cuts hair on the side. He rents the space for 3,000 pesos. On a slow day he attends to 15-20 and about 30-40 customers on a good day. At the start of school year, he can get as many as 60 customers. When asked about usual questions from customers, he replied he always get queries about thinning hair or baldness. He usually advises them to try whatever the television commercials say so as not to offend clients especially hopeless ones.
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Nhel
Joenilo Rojas, 44, known as Nhel, is from Nabua, Camarines Sur. In 1996, he honed his craft in his hometown of Bicol. He moved to Makati 10 years ago. Occasionally, he plants palay (rice) in his village to supplement his income. He said he can harvest up to 40 sacks of rice with his own efforts. He has a sister who is a hairdresser in Abu Dhabi. Nhel proudly shared that working as a barber, he was able to send his two daughters to college, one of which got a business and property management degree and the other is still finishing her hotel and restaurant management course. He rents the space for 5,500 pesos a month and calls it Nhel Barber Shop. He shares it with fellow barber, Ronnie Moreno. They usually attend to 10 to 30 customers a day. Nhel shares a story when he was still new in the trade, he accidentally cut the skin of the ear of a navy official’s son. He got really scared as blood started dripping from the cut. Fortunately, the boy did not notice it nor cry. He was able to control the blood and admitted to the father his fault as soon as he arrived to pick him up. Nhel was more than relieved to find himself blameless.
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Dhodoy
Rebie Bocala or Dhodoy, 35, runs the only air-conditioned barbershop in the neighborhood. It’s called Dhodoy’s Barbershop. Dodoy is from Roxas, Capiz and has three kids. He rents the space for 4,500 pesos a month. The air-conditioned shop is only three months old, and also serves as his family’s living room and his children’s playground. He charges 50 pesos, 10 pesos more than the usual 40-peso fee in non-aircon shops. He learned to hone his craft 16 years in the trade. Dhodoy, while carrying his 7-month-old son Francis, narrated that his first customer was wearing a police attire and that he was so nervous to finish the haircut, he called his uncle to do it. Dhodoy laughed as he continued his story. He later found out that the “police” was actually a mentally challenged man. Dhodoy has two other barbers working for him, Jay-R and his brother Rommel, both of whom he mentored. On a slow day his shop gets at least 35 customers and can reach up to 110 heads. He puts a “Bawal Tambay” sign in his shop to warn people about hanging out inside. Some residents/neighbors have resorted to watching an NBA game outside his shop instead.
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Jun
Bonifacio Reynancia Jr., 32, known as Jun, is originally from Legazpi, Albay. He left the Bicol region in 2000 to seek a better life. He has been a barber for 14 years. He learned to cut hair through experience. Jun is the 7th of 12 children and has another barber brother. He rents his Jun Barber Shop space for 4,500 pesos plus additional 500 pesos for electricity. On a slow day, he cuts the hair of at least 15 customers and on a good day, could have up to 30. He said that he once cut 70 people’s hair, but as more barber shops open nearby the number has gone down. Jun shared a funny story while chuckling. When he was just starting as a barber he wrongly shaved the head of a person who wanted only his beard shaved. The customer got mad so Jun gave the service for free.
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Dodoy
Leonardo Talagtag or Dodoy, 23 and single, is from Albay, Legazpi. He is a part time barber at Jun’s Barber Shop. He has been cutting hair for two and a half years. He only learned the craft by watching barbers at a shop he used to guard. As a guard/helper at the barbershop, he was encouraged by his employer. He trained on customers and will asked the experts to finish the haircut. He attends from 12 to 25 customers a day. In the evenings, he works as a contractual worker at Makati Medical Center delivering food to patients room-to-room from 9pm to 6am. After his shift, he goes straight to the barber shop to open and attend to customers sometimes half awake. He usually takes a rest after lunch.
Barbers’ Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Jay & Michael
Jay Corong, 23, Tacloban, Leyte shares Shellson Barber Shop with the owner’s brother Michael Ajero. Jay, who learned barbering from his cousin, has been a barber for 4 years. He was a second year Criminology student. He is still single but has a live-in partner and is renting a room for 2,500 pesos a month. He can serve 13 heads a day to 40 people on weekends. He once worked for 13 hours staight attending to 52 customers. He splits the fee 20/20 with the owner. He usually talks with clients about jokes, politics and life in general. Michael Ajero, who at 17, is the youngest on my list. Michael, also known as Bay, is from Balatan, Camarines Sur. He arrived in Taguig only last year. He stays with his 29-yrs-old sister who owns the shop. He is the sixth child of 11 children and the youngest of which is only 3-months old. He learned cutting hair from his uncle in the province. This is his first job. He didn’t graduate high school and only completed until his junior year. He attends to 18-45 clients a day with 48 as his record. He shares 20/20 pesos with his owner sister. Lately, he gets lots of request to copy the hairstyle of noontime matinee host, Vhong Navarro. When there is no customer around he listens to music on his cellphone. He tries to send money to his mother twice a month 1,500 pesos and 2,000 pesos. He was very proud to say that he once sent 4,000 to help his siblings go to school.
