Dolly Pader (Seller of Baked Goods)Dolly used to work as a cashier in a Lechon Manok stand before the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the first few weeks of the pandemic, Dolly got fired and was left with no social security during the insidious quarantine measures. Times were difficult, but Dolly felt like she had no other choice than to find her own way of gaining income. First was the carbonara, then came the puto leche, and it continued on with all kinds of amazing food!
Dolly knows that she wasn’t alone in the struggle — hundreds of thousands of Filipinos around the country struggled along with her. Closest to her, her friends couldn’t even sell their bananas because they weren’t allowed in public spaces. Dolly knew the pain of feeling helpless, but she also knew the importance of hope. In solidarity, she bought their bananas and baked banana cakes. She’s now focused on innovating her pastries and cakes by learning through YouTube. But now, she’s selling her baked goods one by one because she’s a first-time grandmother. She stated that the pandemic has had devastating effects, but she wants to learn new things despite it.
