Mercy Takasa, 61, works part time at the New City Grocery in Villalobos Street across Quiapo Church in Manila. She used to work full time for the grocery until she retired in 1990 after 13 years of service. But retirement did not suit her as she missed her colleagues and customers, as well as the hustle and bustle at work. So she asked her former boss if it would be possible for her to work part time every December. He agreed and Mercy has since been showing up for work every first week of December. Today she finds satisfaction helping customers choose their Chinese sweet ham (PHP950/kg) for their noche buena feast. The grocery is famous for its in-house line of ham which it has been making within the premises since 1945! Mercy says that during the Christmas season they sometimes sell as many as a 100 a day.
Souls of Manila is a new Coconuts series of street portrait photography inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York. Every human has a story to tell, and we intend to share some from the millions of souls who call Metro Manila home.
MORE SOULS OF MANILA:
– Mang Jun at Heroes Hill
– Nhorie Cortes, barbeque vendor in Las Piñas
– Mercy Takasa at New City Grocery
– James Macariola
– Earl Chua in Makati
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