Have you heard of the trending hotdog sandwich in Divisoria? If not, you’re missing out! The latest street food craze is so popular that it has been featured on TV shows and by food bloggers. But aside from the sandwich, many are also intrigued by the story behind the man in the stall.
Augusto Virgo is the owner of the successful hotdog sandwich stall on the street of Divisoria. His stall is always crowded by hungry people eager to buy his viral hotdog sandwich. But before he gained popularity for his business, he used to be feared for his notoriety for doing bad acts that he spend a decade in prison.
In an episode of GMA’s Good News, they featured the inspiring story of Augusto and how he was able to change his fate to become a business owner. He recalled that he became part of a syndicate at the age of 12. “Sari-saring kasalanan po and natutunan ko dun,” he shared.
At the age of 9, Augusto left his home in Batangas because he was always maltreated by his stepfather. He roamed the streets of Manila, and that’s where he became part of gangs and syndicates that led him down the wrong path.
At age 14, he was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). He spent 10 years in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), where he finally learned to change his life. When he was finally out of prison, he vowed never to return inside again.
He met a kind man who helped him start a hotdog sandwich stall by lending him a cart. Augusto sells 4 kinds of hotdogs, Jumbo, King-size, Cheesedog, and Giant. He adds lettuce, mayonnaise, cheese, and ketchup to the sandwich and sells them for P35 to P65. Soon, his stall started gaining more and more customers. His popularity skyrocketed when he became viral on social media platforms like TikTok. Now, if you want to buy, you have to wait as there’s always a queue of customers.
Augusto shared how important it is for him to give good food at an affordable price. It’s his way of giving good service to his customers. He said despite not earning huge profit per piece, he doesn’t mind, as long as he has customers who keep on coming back every day for his sandwich.
“Hindi ko po inisip na kumit ng malaking halaga. Sa isang hotdog, siguro meron lang akong limang piso, masaya na ako. Kung ‘di mo mamahalin ang buyer mo, ‘di na sila babalik eh. Sa kanila lang kami nabubuhay, kung tutuusin. Kung wala sila, wala rin kaming pang araw-araw,” he added.
It’s true you can change your fate with determination! Many have chosen to take a different path than their professions too to become entrepreneurs. Educators became a taho shop owners, an engineering graduate became a baker and many more. There’s no limit to what you can do!
You can watch the inspiring story via GMA’s Youtube channel:
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