MANILA -- Last March, comedy bars stopped operations following the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Immediately, all stand-up comedians became jobless. By June, several comedy bars closed for good, leaving hundreds of workers jobless.
“Ginawa ko lang busy and sarili ko,” Ate Gay told ABS-CBN News. “Rather than doing nothing, naisip ko na mag-negosyo ako. Nagluluto na ako before, lutong bahay lang. So nag-decide ako, why not siomai?” Ate Gay’s day starts at 9 a.m. when he cooks for the daily offerings. The eatery opens at 10 a.m. An assistant helps him and by noontime, he manages to go home, eat his lunch, take a nap then returns to the siomai place.
Admittedly, Ate Gay’s body clock inevitably changed during the lockdown. While he got used to staying up late working in comedy bars, he goes to bed early evening these days. He makes it a point to wear his flaring red and yellow apron and never hesitates to grant photo opportunities to customers and fans. He gets help from only one female assistant, while his elder brother comes in at closing time at around 8 p.m. to wrap up the store’s business for the day.
“Cash ang kita ko dito sa siomai at nabubusog pa ang customers ko,” Ate Gay said. “Alam ko ang pinasukan ko, kaya hindi ako takot dito. Hindi mahirap para sa akin.”
Nice... May himala..... Aaa. A. A. A. A.