Among the most important things in the world are family togetherness, and love for one’s kin. A supportive family is likened to an oil that reduces friction; it is the driving force that compels every member to succeed. GrabCar driver-partner Homer Sujor Lazaro couldn’t agree more. As a family man, he gives his wife and children his unwavering support, and in return, he receives their unconditional and pure kind of joy, something which is more than what he always prays for. In fact, he is proud to be a father to a Nursing student who recently graduated with Latin honors.
Family over anything
Lazaro used to be an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), employed as a printing press Offset Operator in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he worked for 10 years, from 2007. In 2017, when he flew back to the Philippines for a vacation, his family begged for him to stay in the country for good. “Magbabakasyon lang talaga ako noon dapat at kailangan kong bumalik sa employer ko. Actually, handa na ung reentry ko. Kaso ayaw na ng mga anak ko. Grabe din yung pagka-homesick noong nandoon ako, kaya nag-decide na lang talaga akong huwag nang umalis ng bansa uli, para sa pamilya ko (I was just supposed to go home on a vacation that time. My re-entry was ready, but my children didn’t want me to go back there. , I also felt extremely homesick there, so I decided not to leave the country for the sake of my family),” the 46-year-old GrabCar driver-partner confessed.
After that spur-of-the-moment decision to never leave his family again, Lazaro had to think quickly about what to do, given that he had not enough savings to start even a small business to support his family’s needs. He initially decided to apply as a taxi driver to make ends meet, then he learned about Grab. “Mayroon akong second-hand na motor na ginagamit kong service papunta at pauwi sa terminal ng taxi na minamaneho ko noon. Pinayuhan ako ng kaibigan ko na mag-GrabFood o GrabExpress delivery rider at may sarili naman akong motor. Ayun, sinubukan ko at doon nag-umpisang gumanda ang buhay ng pamilya ko (I have a second-hand motorcycle which I used to travel to and from the company’s taxi terminal. A friend advised me to try GrabFood or GrabExpress since I have my own motorbike. I applied, and my family’s life has never been better since),” he said,.
Because of his dedication and the earnings on the platform, Lazaro was able to purchase a brand-new motorcycle in 2018, just a few months after he joined Grab. When asked what happened to the secondhand but ever-dependable motorcycle he used: “Naku, si Misis na ang gumagamit ng lumang motor ngayon (Oh, my wife is using the old one now)!” he laughed. Surprisingly, his wife Sheril, who used to be a secretary in a travel agency, also decided to resign from her day job and decided to support Lazaro by becoming a GrabFood delivery-partner herself in 2019. Because guess what, Lazaro has upped the ante and is now a GrabCar driver-partner!
“Nagkataon po kasi na mayroong offer ung Grab. Kukunin nila ung pangalan ng kung sino ang gustong mag-GrabCar driver-partner. Mag-a-apply ka kung gusto mo, at ipapasa nila sa casa yung pangalan mo. Isa ako sa maswerteng napili. Hiningi nila yung statement of account ko kay Grab. Ayun na, nabigyan ako ng sasakyan na hinuhulugan ko monthly.” (“Grab had an offer for those who want to be a GrabCar driver-partner. You had to apply if you were committed. I was fortunate to be chosen. They asked for my statement of account with Grab, and eventually, have my own GrabCar, which I still pay for monthly”), Lazaro beamed. While he was apprehensive about getting a car, at the time, his ever-supportive wife became his main cheerleader: “Ayaw daw nyang nakikita na naiinitan o nauulanan sa kalsada. Kaya, kinumbinsi ako nang todo (She didn’t want to see me under the rain or sun, so she convinced me to go for it),” and so, he did. In November 2023, Lazaro became a full-fledged GrabCar driver-partner.
He also noted that there is not much difference between his orientation as a GrabFood delivery-partner and a GrabCar driver-partner now, specifically about being courteous and respecting clients, and always wearing a smile even to irate passengers, and he always prays for protection and safety before commencing his trips and pray for thanksgiving upon reaching home at the end of the day’s work. Lazaro would rev up the engines as early as 6:00 in the morning, taking trips around Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, and Laguna and calls it a day by 9:00pm, acknowledging that while he could still extend his work hours, he knew that his wife and two children are waiting for him at home.
Family teamwork at its best
When asked about his secret to a happy and contented family life, Lazaro was quick to say: “Quality time po talaga. Importanteng may oras kayong pamilya para sa Diyos, at para sa isa’t-isa (As a family, it is important to set aside time for God and for each other)”, he said. Thus, he works daily except Sunday, a day he dedicates to bringing his family to church and bonding over lunch after mass.
“Yung bonding naman namin ni misis, araw-araw. Lalo na ang ruta ng mga delivery niya, paikot-ikot lang sa area namin, may eksaktong oras kada araw na magkikita kami sa tapat ng isang malaking supermarket, na naging tambayan na namin. Hindi pwedeng hindi mangyari yun, araw-araw talaga kumakain kami nang sabay, kahit simpleng meryenda lang, magkukwentuhan ng tungkol sa araw namin bago kami bumalik sa paghahanapbuhay (My wife and I bond daily. The delivery routes of my wife is limited to our area so every day, at exactly the same time, every day we meet each other in front of a supermarket where we usually hang out to eat. There is never a day that we don’t eat together even if it’s just simple snacks. We talk about how our day went before we return to our respective daily grind),” he disclosed.
Lazaro and his wife also do the same to their children, spending time talking with them about school, daily challenges, and constantly guiding them to always make the right choices in life. They also talk about problems and help each other out with doable solutions. They support each other in everything, underscoring that aside from being a family, they are a team standing by one another through good and tough times.
All efforts to put his family above himself has recently been rewarded. His daughter who recently earned her Nursing degree, graduated Cum Laude, and Lazaro has been beaming with pride since. “Proud na proud po ako at laking pasasalamat ko dahil sa blessing na ito ni Lord. Magastos ang kursong Nursing, pero dahil nagagampanan ko nang maayos itong aking pagga-Grab, nagawan ng paraan ang tuition fee, libro, laboratory, at mga pangangailangan ng mga anak ko sa pag-aaral (I am extremely proud and grateful for this blessing from the Lord. Nursing is quite an expensive course but because I am always doing my job well in Grab, I somehow have the means to pay the tuition fee, books, laboratory, and other school requirements of my children),” Lazaro shared, adding that his son is also graduating from his Transportation Management degree soon.
Looking back, he knows that he has made the right decision about foregoing his plans of returning abroad. He is admittedly happier now than before, because he has earned viably from being a GrabCar driver-partner, without having to be physically separated from his family. “Nagpapasalamat ako at ginamit ni Lord ang Grab bilang pagpapala. On my part, gagawin ko ang best ko para palakihin o doblehin ang blessing na ito. Hindi ko sisirain ang integridad ko sa trabaho para patuloy ko pang mabigyan ng magandang buhay at kinabukasan ang aking pamilya, na deserve nila. Siyempre, sa tulong ng Grab,kuntento at masaya kaming pamilya. Wala na po akong mahihiling pa (I am grateful that the Lord used Grab to bless me. On my part, I will do my best to grow or double this blessing. I will not tarnish my integrity so I could continue giving my family a better life and future which they deserve. With Grab’s help, of course. I have a happy and content family, and I couldn’t ask for anything more),” he smiled.
In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Good thing Lazaro knows the importance of making family a priority and has always managed to strike a balance between livelihood and nurturing his wife and children. Having a contented and happy family is everything. It doesn’t matter how big or small one’s house is, it is the love for each other that makes a home.
INQUIRER.net BrandRoom/JC
Read more stories here:
In order to move forward, we must give back: How one man’s past helped secure the future of others
Driven to inspire: How one man’s drive to help others ultimately transformed his own life
Travel better while abroad with a BDO Debit Card