Patrick Manuel (24 | Mandaluyong City, Philippines) is on a mission to support the street vendors, especially those who are senior citizens, in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. While attending school, Patrick received a lot of support from his grandmother who owned and ran a small sari-sari store (similar to a convenience store). He saw his grandmother in the vendors whose shops were located near his university, and began to think about what might happen to them if they lost their livelihoods.

When the pandemic hit, Patrick launched Pantawid COVID Project to support these street vendors, many of whom had to shut down because of decreased foot traffic, imposed curfews, and stay-at-home orders. The Pantawid COVID Project is an online crowdfunding initiative that aims to provide aide or “Pantawid” to vulnerable families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Through Partick’s efforts, more than 3,000,000 peso (roughly $60,000) worth of financial and in-kind donations were raised! These funds and items were able to support over 10,000 vulnerable families in his region, including street vendors, public transportation workers, minimum wage earners, and senior citizens.

While continuing to aid his community through philanthropic work, Patrick is looking toward long-term solutions to help elderly vendors and shop owner. In his research, Patrick learned that many of the small-scale business owners have the skills but lacked mentorship in terms of business regulatory requirements, government loan opportunities, and applicable courses. With the backing of local stakeholders ranging from businesses and government agencies to foundations and nonprofits, Patrick has crafted a coalition and is one step closer to providing sustainable and structural support.