Feature is based on January 2017 interview
Emily, 45, and Rachelle, 38, have been living in the Angeles City area for their entire life. Emily is a widow with three children and Rachelle is separated with two sons. They are two of six children. Growing up, they lived with four brothers, sister and parents. With limited education, Emily and Rachelle’s mother, 86, and father, 91, worked as wage laborers before they had enough money to start a small business. Inseparable, Emily and Rachelle take turns working together maintaining a family-ran small business. They sell everyday staples such as snacks, laundry detergents, and cigarettes out of their father’s sari-sari store. Tagalog, meaning “sundry” or “variety,” sari-sari stores are commonly seen in communities throughout the archipelago and play an integral part in the Philippine economy. Unlike in the United States where “big box” marts and convenience chains have dominated the economy, the prevalence of sari-sari stores throughout the Philippines keep the spirit of small business alive and well…
