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By Izah Morales INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines – An economic crisis pushes people to engage in sidelines or extra jobs aside from the regular job they are already doing. But for 21-year-old Rodel Rosario of Los Baños, a sideline means the only way of making ends meet. Pushing a trolley from “Crossing” to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños has become Rodel’s “sideline” for two years now. “Kung walang trabaho, ito ‘yung sideline ko ang mag-tulak ng trolley[If I have nothing else to do, I push trolleys for sideline], ” he said. Every morning and afternoon, he is like an ice skater gliding on the train tracks, his feet alternately stepping on the steel (instead of ice) to move the makeshift trolley forward. However, his movement is not as smooth and graceful like an ice skater because his “skating rink” is the railway and his so-called performance is to push the trolley that carries a maximum of five passengers. A trolley ride costs P25, according to Rosario. As I traveled along the railway for about 15 minutes from IRRI to Crossing, Rosario told me how strenuous and dangerous it was pushing a trolley especially when the train was still operating. “Minsan may nabangga ng tren at namatay. Lasing kasi. Minsan naman na-didiskaril, [One time, someone died when a train hit him. He was drunk. Sometimes, some trolleys get derailed,” said Rosario. Despite the risk of accidents, people like Rosario continue to push trolleys especially now that the train has stopped its operation since typhoon Milenyo hit Los Baños. While acknowledging the dangers of his sideline, he could not imagine himself leaving it. “Mas gugustuhin ko pa rin sa riles, kasi dito, may kikitain kami. May hanapbuhay kami, [I still want to stay here in the railway because I can earn extra here. I can have a job],” he explained. A day of pushing a trolley under the heat of the sun, Rosario earns P150 to P200, which is enough to buy food for his family. “Pantawid gutom din. Sumasapat lang sa pagkain ang maghapong kita, [This helps me make ends meet. What I earn all day usually goes to food,]” he said.