Struggles of Selected Chicken Meat Vendors in Wet Market of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija in New Normal

Abstract

San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, is an agricultural municipality in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines, with approximately 46,000 people. The municipality's economy is primarily based on agriculture and livestock production, and it has several wet markets where local vendors sell various products, including chicken meat. This study mainly focuses on the challenges chicken meat vendors face in the new normal situation in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. The main goal of this study was to identify the difficulties and problems faced by chicken meat dealers in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, in the post-pandemic new normal. This study employed a phenomenological design, a qualitative research strategy called phenomenological research, and the questions "how" and "what" so the researchers could know the experience in the daily life of the vendors they investigated. The respondents were selected chicken meat vendors in the wet market of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. The researcher's instruments used in the data gathering were interviews and audio recordings. The study revealed that the respondents experienced a significant loss in income due to the pandemic since many of them lost their jobs and went bankrupt because their business was in debt. The price increases made them close their business. It led them to borrow money to cope with their business since they lack investments and have lost money due to high costs that are continually rising for them to feed their family. They also experienced a lack of supplies because there were no suppliers of chicken meat during the pandemic. In this study, the problems experienced by most chicken meat vendors were loss of income, bankruptcy, and lack of supplies. The chicken meat vendors' coping strategy was to borrow money from others to resolve their problems and feed their families. The study showed that chicken meat vendors suffered a significant loss during the pandemic and are still coping with the new normal.