Going back to Bombay loan -sharks

    A few weeks back, I was talking about loan- sharks.  Today I will tell you more about my experience at the 'talipapa'  a small size public market, where loan- sharks ply their trade regularly.  As I have said my cousin owns a small size variety store there but she does not cater to loan-sharks because her OFW husband sent her seed money as capital to keep her business going.  As to whether she will go into it one day only time will tell.
     Mang Tomas, not the popular table sauce, who also owns a store there has no choice but to source his capital from the Bombay (Indian national) using the 5/6 scheme where when you borrow 5,000 pesos you will pay back 6,000 pesos after a week.  Mang Tomas had been availing of this kind of loan for some time.  Yet his business is still standing, though not a sign of growth or improvement.  Thanks to the Indian national who helped or victimized him for some period of time.  Many peopple said, including some of his own customers,  Mang Tomas is just helpless and uneducated but he is not entirely stupid.  Mang Tomas even finely said, "who said I am foolish, me and my wife have enough to eat and I have avoided being harrased or ejected by the owners of this market."
   Mang Dindo, a stall neighbor of Mang Tomas is not as lucky.  Only recently Mang Dindo was threatened by two policemen, who are also loan providers  using the same 5/6 scheme as the Bombay's.  " You either pay or you are dead" said the law officers.
   Aling Susan is another example, after availing herself a 100,000 pesos credit, she just dissapeared.  And it was Mang Tomas who told his Bombay credit provider that Aling Susan had already went home to her province in Cotabato.  All the Indian national said, 'Diyos na ang bahala'. God will take care.
   So, ever wonder why the Bombay loan-sharks are still around and their business operations  even flourishing?  Some say it could be because they are deligent, persistent and do not have any connection with some violent groups or syndicate.  They operate their business peacefully, even if they are labeled as voracious loan-sharks.






















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