Bacolod Barter Community is Kindness Beyond Borders

The Bacolod Barter Community, popularly known as the BBC, a social group exchanging goods and services through the use of a barter system, has ignited a modern way to adapt to the sudden changes of livelihood and lifestyle the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about.

The Coronavirus disease 2019, an infectious disease causing severe acute respiratory syndrome, is also known as coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has resulted in an on-going pandemic around the world.

Without any known cure or vaccination, the threat of deaths run high and has caused people to stay home and lose their financial resources such as in their business or employment.

In the Philippines, it has placed many cities and its associated islands under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), a system of restriction putting societal constraints on people’s movement and behaviour. This has been effective for almost two months since March 15.

Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, a visionary and innovator from Bacolod City, has seen an opportunity when most people cannot. With an exclusive access to her thought processes and vision with Negros Daily Bulletin, she says, her utmost aim is to spread kindness in a manner that can benefit all people from all walks of life.

The birth of BBC on May 8 boiled down to the barter trade system dating back as far as 6000 B.C. which was started by the Mesopotamian tribes, Phoenicians and Babylonians.

BBC started at the rise of the pandemic and has continuously proven its effectiveness at a time where monetary exchange is low and less preferred. It soared to more than 195,000 members in the span of 27 days.

At present, it continually grows around the country which created more than 75 other barter communities copying the format of its pioneer.

People exchange almost anything with anyone without having to measure the monetary quality the item embodies. It practices an exchanging of goods and services based on a mutual and voluntary decision between negotiating parties. This has also opened up doorways for helpful people to use the BBC as a way to help out other less fortunate families affected during the crisis.

Examples of how it awakened the entire country to re-apply the traditional trading system is when people barter a sack of rice for a roasted pig; expensive and branded non-perishable goods like bags, colognes, or appliances in exchange for grocery items, plants, and other urgently needed items; other items involved are unused cars, motorcycles, or small properties which are also candidates to create quite a catching mode of bartering choices.

“It is not selling, for the goods are not exchanged based on price but value. It is not also donating, for the goods are not given without anything in exchange. The price of the item or service is never equal but the happiness and feeling of satisfaction should be equal,” Sigue said.

The idea of Sigue has resulted to other innovations such as the Global Barter Communities (GBC), where communities around the world can unite.

The aim to help and spread kindness, as Sigue’s focal motivation had adhered to cause a fast ripple to break barriers. It has been a fun experience to people involved and has always resulted in a sense of camaraderie and harmony between communities in the midst of crisis.

The Bacolod Barter Community has also been featured later in May in the long renowned television show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS).*