Of rotis and sandwiches: how a single mother feeds 14 family members

The “sandwich generation” refers to adults who have a living parent who are 65 years old or older and are either raising a child or supporting a grown child. These middle-aged adults are “sandwiched” between aging parents and kids who rely on them to provide care, and financial and emotional support. 

If she can be described by a sandwich, Norma Macali, 52, jokingly said that she would be a clubhouse sandwich. 

Norma has five children, seven grandchildren, a 90-year-old mother, and a mentally ill brother. She looks after all of them. 

Thirteen years ago, she separated from her husband. She doesn’t have any siblings she can rely on for help and she couldn’t expect her children to work especially in these difficult times. 

“Puhunan ko ang pagsisikap (Hardwork is my capital)”, she said, struggling to find her words in tears. 

Under the Strengthening Urban Preparedness through Pre-emptive Action in BARMM (SUPPA-BARMM) Project, members of the vulnerable sector including single mothers like Norma qualify for cash assistance because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Before the pandemic hit Marawi City, she used to rent a stall in the market where she sold jewelries and a variety of other things. She earned as much as P10,000 from her store but when the market closed, so did her shop. 

“Hindi ko na pinanghihinayangan yung dati kong pinagkakakitaan, dahil kinuha na ito ni Allah, (I don’t think about my business anymore because Allah took it away,” she said.

Norma used the cash assistance as capital to sell roti, a round flatbread with sauteed vegetables and mayonnaise tucked inside. Sold for P10 apiece, she stores them in an ice chest, straps it on her arm, and peddles it around. By afternoon, she sells out all her roti enough to prepare lugaw (rice porridge) for her family.

None of Norma’s children and grandchildren are in school because her roti business cannot sustain it. At the moment, she is able to feed her family on a daily basis, but she doesn’t earn enough for more. This continues to be the trend for sandwich generations, especially those living below the poverty line. They are spread too thin between different generations they are responsible for, leaving nothing for themselves. 

She is optimistic about the future and looks forward to going back to the lucrative business she left. “Alhamdulillah kung mawala ang COVID-19 [virus]! Malaya na akong makakapaghanap-buhay para sa aking pamilya.” (Praise be to Allah when the COVID-19 virus disappears. I will have the freedom to work and provide for my family.)

SUPPA-BARMM is a joint project of IDEALS, Inc., PDRRN, Humanity & Inclusion, and OXFAM funded by European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. The project aims to improve disaster preparedness and decrease the vulnerability of highly at-risk communities in the cities of Cotabato and Marawi in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. At present, 200 beneficiaries in Cotabato City and 227 beneficiaries in Marawi City have received COVID-19 cash assistance.