Balut vendor boosts income by selling 'drum cars' made of recycled materials

MANILA, Philippines — Valenzuela City balut vendor Rolando Barrientos had difficulty getting by during the COVID-19 pandemic, but he found a saving grace in one of his inventions made from scrap materials.

Barrientos and his "drum car" were one of the subjects of the latest episode of "KBYN: Kaagapay ng Bayan" hosted by Noli de Castro, wherein the vendor shared why he created the vehicle.

"Unang-una ang hirap sumakay, pangalawa mahirap makipagsiksikan dahil sa takot sa virus," Barrientos explained. "Kaya nag-isip ako ng iba pwede kong gamitin na sasakyan."

Because he did not have the money to buy a brand new car, he decided to make one of his own.

The vehicle is entirely made from recyclable materials, from the body that used to be an oil drum to the engine and wheels that were all pieced together.

Barrientos said the headlights used to be emergency lights, the driver's seat was an office chair, the handrests were car bumpers, and the back portion was made from scrap metal.

Thanks to money he obtained from people who purchased his "drum cars," Barrientos was able to start another job of customizing furniture.

But Barrientos kept one "drum car" for his family and to help him continue selling balut, which was his initial occupation.

"Diyan ko itinaguyod ang pamilya ko — pagtitinda ng balut, pangangalakal... Salamat sa Diyos at nabibigay ko pangangailangan nila," said Barrientos, adding that he proved people wrong when some doubted such a car wouldn't run.

"Kung hindi kayo naniniwala sa akin, okay lang, sarili ko lang naman 'to. Pero darating din naman 'yung ginawa ko, mapapansin niyo rin na may tinatago akong kakayahan," the vendor also said.

Because the "drum cars" are often thrice the price of the materials used to make them, Barrientos hopes for more personal success in the future with what he considers a hobby.

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