Viral kakanin vendor braves Kristine floods to feed family

During tropical cyclone Kristine's heavy downpour in October, a vendor went viral for walking through massive floods and winds while carrying his container of kakanin.

"Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" discovered that this man, Randy, lives in Calamba, Laguna, and that he decided to brave the storm to earn an income to feed his family.

"Ang nasa isip ko, walang makakain 'yung pamilya po. Pinilit ko talagang magtinda," he said.

["All I could think of was my family not having anything to eat. That's why I forced myself to go out into the streets to sell"]

Randy said that he knew a storm was coming that day; he seized the opportunity because sales were strong during storms.

His wife, Jovimee, however, told him to stay at home because of the bad weather, but Randy was persistent.

While selling kakanin during the storm, Randy's metal container began to break, and he himself was nearly swept away by the strong winds.

Randy held onto an iron fence as onlookers shouted, unaware of how far he'd walked through the flood. Unable to walk in slippers, he went barefoot. 

While he was away, Jovimee feared for her husband.

"Kasi hindi talaga siya nag-update maghapon sa akin. Baka mamaya may magliparang mga yero," she said.

["I didn't receive an update from him the whole day. I was afraid metal sheets might fly around."]

Although Randy was able to sell all his kakanin, the storm got stronger on his way home.

"'Yun talaga malakas! Kinabahan ako. Buti nakahawak ako dun sa may gutter kaya paghawak ko, napatigil ako."

["The storm was really strong! I got scared and had to stop for a moment to hold on to the area near the gutter"]

Randy came across more trouble when he fell into a canal in Barangay Halang, Calamba.

"Hindi ko naman alam na may kanal doon na nabuksan 'yung takip. Talagang nalaglag akong ganun!" Randy said.

["I didn't know there was an open canal there. I just fell right in!"]

"Baka masuot pa ako sa ilalim. Kaya sa takot ko, bigla akong umahon. Dire-diretso lang ako ng paglakad ko," he added. "Ang nasa isip ko lang eh makauwi at ang iniwanan ko ay walang makakain. E lalo na't bagyo. Natatakot ako baka may mangyari sa pamilya ko."

["I was scared I'd get swept underneath. Out of fear, I quickly climbed out and kept walking. All I could think about was getting home, knowing my family was waiting for me. They might have nothing to eat, especially in a storm. I was worried that something might happen to them."]

When he finally got home, Jovimee thanked the Lord that nothing dangerous happened to her husband.

Randy's perseverance

Randy leaves his home at 5 a.m. daily to sell puto, sapin-sapin, and kutsinta. He then commutes to Los Banos, Laguna, where he sells these kakanin.

Randy's daily earnings vary, with P1,500 being the largest amount. He then sends money to the business owner, and brings home P500 to P600 for his family.

"Pang-ulam. S'yempre kuryente, tubig, baon. Hindi sapat ho 'yun kasi biglang may gagastusin sa school," Randy said. He also works extra hard because Jovimee is set to give birth to their fourth child.

["We use the money for food, electricity, water, and school expenses. It's never enough because there are always unexpected school costs.]

"Hindi ko iniisip 'yung pagod. Iniisip ko, 'yung mapagtapos ko 'yung mga anak ko," he added. "Hangga't kaya kong kumayod, gagawin ko kasi ayokong gagaya sila sa akin, wala na."

["I don't think about the exhaustion. I just want to put my kids through school. As long as I can work, I'll keep going because I don't want them to end up like me."]

Randy shared that he chose to live in Calamba and work in the south to search for his mother.

Raised in Pangasinan, Randy didn't finish school and started selling binatog with his uncle. Later, his grandmother told him he wasn't a blood relative and that his real mother was from Calamba.

"Nung umalis daw 'yung babae, wala daw binigay na pangalan. Basta ka na lang binigay na parang tinapay," he said.

["When the woman left, she didn't give a name. They just gave me away, like bread.]

His father figure, Tatay Andoy, said it was difficult to reveal this to Randy after raising him. "Para sa akin talaga, tunay na anak ko na siya."

["To me, he was like my own child."]

Randy learned no new details about his mother from Tatay Andoy but remains grateful to the family who raised him. At 17, he began supporting himself by selling kakanin in Laguna while continuing his search for his mother.

The viral video

When Randy was on the way home after selling kakanin during Typhoon Kristine, a woman named Shamillae took a video of him. 

She said she recorded it after they were asked to leave a coffee shop due to rising floodwaters. Unaware he was being filmed, Randy kept walking through Barangay Halang.

Jovimee watched the video when a neighbor showed it to her.

"Naiyak po ako kasi hindi ko pa akalain na ganoon po 'yung sinuong niya pong baha nung pauwi na po siya," she said.

["I cried because I didn't realize the extent of what he went through just to be able to come home."]

Following this, several people were able to donate rice for Randy. When he and Shamillae met, she also offered him cash.

The barangay staff and Calamba City's local government provided Randy with sacks of rice, groceries, and other essentials, along with a scholarship for his child.

Randy also hopes the viral video will be a way for him to meet his mother.

"Sana may tutulong sa akin na hanapin ko 'yung tunay kong magulang. Gusto ko rin din makakita para marami na akong tanong sa kanya kung bakit niya ginawa," he said.

["I hope someone can help me find my real parents. I want to meet them because I have a lot of questions about why they did what they did."]

For those who wish to support Randy and his family, donations can be sent to:

BPI Savings

Account Name: Jovimee Roca
Account Number: 08-397-38949
GCash: Jovimee Roca – 09696368852
PayMaya: Jovimee Roca – 09994212582

—JCB, GMA Integrated News