今週はPEGLスピーキングコースBBTオンライン英会話の人気講師のひとり、Dave Padillaによるエッセイをお届けします。

世界中の人々の生活に多大な影響をもたらしたパンデミックは、当然のことながらオンライン英会話講師達が暮らすフィリピンも例外ではありません。
様々な逆境の中でも独自のアイデアで起業し成功した実例を紹介しながら、’Creativity（創造性）’と’Resourcefulness（機知）’の重要性について考えるきっかけとなる、読み応えのある内容となっています。

Creativity and Resourcefulness Amidst the Uncertainty of the Pandemic

We all know that the pandemic created a massive shift in the lives of many people around the world. People were affected in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Businesses and industries also had to adjust and make sacrifices due to mandates and restrictions. Because of this many people lost their jobs or had to quit jobs due to these changes. For many, losing their primary source of income can be devastating. But the creativity and ingenuity of many Filipinos are what helped them survive even the lowest point of their lives.

At the start of the pandemic, due to massive panic and uncertainty of the virus, many companies made drastic changes in their workflow. Because of this, many people had to find alternative ways to earn money for their family and daily needs. Some people who had the resources chose to be delivery riders for food delivery apps or courier delivery services. But some people decided to take a more do-it-yourself approach. Take for instance a small independent coffee business that started with a man selling brewed coffee on his bicycle. The café is called Cityboy Brew, founded by Mang Vicente, who was once a freelance photographer.

His love for coffee started when he was hired to do product photos of coffee beans for an online business. But the idea for his business started when he saw a Davao-based motorcycle café business called The Mobile Café. Inspired by the idea of a mobile café, he started outfitting his bike with coffee-making equipment and ingredients and started selling around Manila. Although the sales were abysmal in the beginning, he learned to adjust his selling spots and persevered with this business.

Now his business is booming, selling over 150 cups of coffee on weekdays, and has expanded his business by offering other coffee-related drinks and franchising to other people who are also willing to have a mobile café business. His success is not only achieved by his persistence and hard work, but also because of the spirit of camaraderie that formed a small community through his online marketing and regular updates on his page. Now the business attracts a lot of people, even outside of Manila, just to try their coffee and to experience the ambiance of drinking coffee in a scenic cityscape.

The pandemic changed a lot of things around the world. From individuals to communities and whole countries, the pandemic showed how uncertain life can be. But it also showed that despite these uncertainties, life must go on and it shows through those who have persevered. The spirit of creativity and resourcefulness should not only be a Filipino ideal, it should be adopted by people around the world. Life is full of challenges and being resourceful and creative can help you survive these uncertainties.

筆者：Dave Padilla（デイブ　パディラ）
Dave(デイブ)はフィリピンの名門大学で中等教育（英語）を専攻し、優秀な成績で学士を取得しました。卒業後は英語講師の道を選び、これまでにオンラインや教室で主に日本人を対象に教えて経験を積んできました。教員免許も取得済です。フリーの写真家として起業もしている多才な講師で、日本語も少し話せます。
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