That's a small shop like plenty others exist in many different Asian countries :-D as well. It's chaotic, yes, but that's what you expect from lower middle class folks in developing countries who just try to earn for a living using the front terrace of their house that happen to be located directly on the street where people walk or driving by could make a short stop to buy some stuff and where the neighbours can buy simple groceries etc. in a small amount.
These are basically shops for those with little spending power and also belong to those with little working capital.
So basically every citizen have the opportunity to earn something if they want to work hard with a small capital cos the government wouldn't burden them with torturous bureucracy and tax filing obligation just yet until their business got bigger and reach a certain level of turn over.
One can complain about security measure, hygieny control, customer protection or whatever else we are accustomed with in the west, but there'S certainly a big advantage in this business model, which is the fact that even without safety net management provided by the government..basically there are more people who could survive better without begging the government to help them compared to those in the west at their same level of financial power.
And last but not least... I don't know about Philippine, but I can confirm that those small shops are the backbone of the economy in Indonesia, which had supported my country and helped us to survive the global economy crisis more than 2 decades ago (remember the crisis caused by Lehman Brothers).
That's because they don't take loan, no mortgage, not dependent of dollars or other foreign currencies. They're independent and growing slow but steady.
And here in the Philippine I'm also glad that we have these Sari-Sari shops nearby, because I don't have a car and our home is rather far from city center, so it would be a hassle for shopping if I'm only missing onions, carrots, garlic or something as trivial as which I need to cook my dinner.
Or sometimes the teacher gave a sudden assignment for my kid which is due the next day and I don't have the stuff needed to work on that, so..it's great that I can always try my luck at such shops, cos they normally do have what I need 😁.
Indeed it's good that people find a way to sustain without state help... My bigger concern would be buy raw meat or fish for hygienic reasons
The onion example is so speaking, if I need an onion I take the car (everyone has one) and in 5 minutes im at the supermarket, for you would be a problem
Well, and I save the money to buy and maintain the car, don't contribute to traffic jam and don't pollute the air with my non-existing car. Furthermore, I am accustomed walk quite a lot and thus doing something for my fitness and health.
If really needed I call a taxi or a tricycle. But starting a car for just buying an onion wouldn't come to my mind.
What do we learn from that? ... People are different, having different priorities and needs ...
Yeah but here to go to work you need a car, if you don't have one you simply don't work, public transport is non existent and if you would go by bike would take hours under rain or cold
So indeed every place as his own ways to go
That's why I don't work as well. :-)
(But of course there are people who work remote from home ... I hope to see their number increasing in future ...)
Indeed, the remote work is a good thing has been brought up, much less traffic and smog