HEARD in the streets of Metro Manila are the countless noises from vehicles, busy establishments, and people fueled by dreams. To Filipinos, it is a place where plenty of opportunities await; one that offers a chance to turn their life around. However, what often goes unnoticed is how these same streets are also filled with desperation, hunger, and poverty.
Unfortunately, elderly vendors are often seen carrying nothing but their products and determination. Some can afford to rent stalls, while the majority depend on their endurance and willpower to get through long hours on the streets.
Among them is Rodolfo Santo, a 62 year-old cloth rag vendor in Dapitan, Manila. He offers a bundle of four rags for only Php 20. Despite turning 63 this November 25, Tatay Rodolfo still pushes himself to walk every corner of Dapitan, carrying a plastic bag full of his rags, hoping to earn enough profit for a single meal to get through the day.
Senior citizens are generally expected to rest and receive care from their loved ones. However, Tatay Rodolfo decided to leave Bulacan, his hometown, in 2023 and settle in Dapitan. Since then, he has been selling clothing rags to fill his stomach and meet a few basic needs.
“Ito lang ang kaya ng puhanan. Tsaka ayan, ganyan, kapag nakabenta ay makakakain ka na….Dito ako nabubuhay,” Tatay Rodolfo shared when asked why he sells clothing rags.
The weather and noise in the Philippines, particularly in Manila, can be extremely stressful. Still, Tatay Rodolfo has no choice but to endure and live with them, as he must sell even a single rag to afford his daily necessities.
He revealed that he rarely sells his products. He said sometimes they are all sold out, but most of the time, not. “Minsan isang tali lang.…wala akong naiipon…magkano pangligo? Singkwenta. Kapag magbabawas ka? Sampo. [Tapos] pangkain mo pa.”
Because of this uncertainty, Tatay Rodolfo also resorts to begging for food. But even his last option does not guarantee him a meal to survive the day.
He also shared his thoughts about returning home, but having no relatives left and his worries about being rejected and a burden hold him back.
“Gusto ko pa rin sana, kaso wala naman akong kamag-anak eh. Wala na, patay na lahat. Sila tatay [at] tiyahin. Kumbaga, ako [na lang ang] buhay. May mga pinsan nga ako…lumaki kaming magkakilala, pero tatangkilikin ba nila ako, eh lalaki ako at matanda na?”
The weight of having no place to call “home” is something many Filipinos experience, and Tatay Rodolfo is no exception. For him, returning to Bulacan is no longer an option, because he fears no one would care for an elderly person like him. Despite not wanting to spend the rest of his life on the streets of Dapitan, Tatay Rodolfo has already made peace with that possibility.
Tatay Rodolfo’s story is a quiet cry often drowned by the noise of the metropolis. Despite his hardships, he continues to walk the same streets each day with no certainty of what comes next. In a city where survival has become a way of life, Tatay Rodolfo reveals the heavy burden carried by the voiceless.
