A week after Typhoon Ulysses wreaked havoc on various parts of Luzon, 54-year old Alejandro Santiago opened the doors to his shop near the Marikina Riverbanks.
With the river’s water level reaching up to 21 feet during the height of the typhoon, Santiago’s shop was just one of the many establishments and homes that were affected by the torrential rains and high floods that came with Ulysses, reviving painful memories of Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009.With typhoons Quinta and Rolly hardly having any effect on the city, Santiago had no reason to think that Ulysses would be any different.Some of the leather footwear Santiago was able to save from the flood.
His shop was also severely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, being forced to shut down during the various lockdown measures implemented to curb the spread of the disease.Some of the face masks being sold. The masks were initially made for personal use during the pandemic but gained popularity from customers.“Nakaahon lang kami dahil nag-switch kami sa paggawa ng leather face mask," he said.
“Huhugasan mo 'yan, papatuyuin, bubugahan mo ng degreaser,” he said, noting the things needed to do to get the machines working again.