MASBATE CITY, Feb. 9 -- When the Covid-19 pandemic brought the entire country to a standstill, former bus driver Alladin Villar's world came to a screeching halt.

The imposition of lockdowns and travel restrictions put a strain on his ability to provide for his family's needs, thus the father of three felt like giving up.

"During the pandemic, I tried everything. I worked as a construction worker and as an electrician just to make ends meet, but it still wasn't enough," Villar said in the vernacular.

Fortunately for this 42-year-old jack of all trades, he has inherited his father's knack for upholstery.

And all it took was a PHP10,000 loan from a microfinance company to change his family's fate.

Upholstering dreams

In 2021, at the h...