6 BIttersweet InDULgence: UNWRAPPING THE TOXIC LABOR CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES || Niñalyn Marcial & RV Balbuena
Landing your dream job is one of the most delightful moments of life. Yet, are all expectations met with the embittered reality? In our country, working hard is not enough for an individual to earn the salary they deserve. The journey of how the workers experience the different flavors of the work environment is supposed to be smooth, but the road ahead is as rocky as the system they are forced to belong in. No matter how strikingly sweet and enticing the molded opportunities are in this country, the toxic labor culture always leaves a bitter aftertaste of reality.
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CHOCOLATE COINS Yearning for a fulfilling job with a substantial salary to support a satisfying lifestyle, not everyone is fortunate enough to secure such positions. Instead, some earn meager amounts, akin to a chocolate coin, covering basic needs with little satisfaction Mismatching of jobs from the degree one got from their college is common in the country. Contrary to a brain drain scenario, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) reports that 40% of employed workers are overqualified for their jobs. Moreover, the country faces a surplus of qualified individuals compared to the limited job opportunities, reflecting its stringent standards for aspiring employees. Many choose to work as call center agents or freelancers in
MILKY and DARK Flavors
In every chocolate box, you never know what type of acknowledging the controversy and scrutiny often assoflavor you are going to get. Every chocolate is wrapped in ciated with his profession. Renz, a telecommunication various eye-catching wrappers, but what you get inside company supervisor, shares a similar sentiment, underremains the same. So why do the ones covered in white standing people’s perceptions and emphasizing that they have more chances of being a favored flavor? are just carrying out their work despite complaints. Every White-collar jobs, typically associated with offices and profession has the inevitability of encountering comtop organizational positions, involve overseeing a com- plaints, but are blue-collar workers more susceptible to pany’s functions, while blue-collar jobs are stereotypi- them than those in white-collar industries? cally seen as physically demanding or walk-in-the-park A nation emphasizing the need for an established cajobs with meager daily wages. Despite the common per- reer before deeming someone respectable negatively imception, as noted by Investopedia (2023), that blue-col- pacts people’s well-being. Possessing a diploma does not lar workers lack earning power and education compared guarantee financial and societal stability, as the chosen to their white-collar counterparts, individuals in such profession does not solely define past degrees, present roles possess skills extending beyond offices, engaging in capabilities, or prospects strenuous labor. These diverse roles, from manufacturing Now is the time to taste the different flavors wrapped and repair to law enforcement, play crucial roles in daily in different colors. Do people prefer the milky-flavored life and contribute to economic growth. covered in white because of its sweetness? Or is the dark-
BPO companies, deviating from their college studies, as this industry often doesn’t require a degree or advanced skills, providing a more accessible path for applicants. Jobseekers often accept roles requiring fewer skills than their training, not due to incompetence but driven by salary aspirations or a desire for career advancement in fields with limited demand for their college courses. Marie, a 59-year-old store owner, exemplifies this trend, explaining, “I chose this career path to earn money and spend time with my family,” highlighting a broader issue of career misalignment among degree holders in the country. Chocolate coins, though a sweet price, fail to satiate an empty stomach, regardless of the effort and allure of earning them. Unfortunately, people settle for these meager rewards when they strive for the satisfaction of an entire chocolate
After experiencing the different tastes of the Philippine labor culture, one could easily reject it for the bitter experience that will immediately show. On the other hand, many would still have it for the little bit of sweetness that is clinging to it. Whatever one might pick between the two, hard work must still be the first step to earn its delectable richness. <w>
“We are just complying with what the boss says and er flavor wrapped in blue ignored due to some misconwhat the job entails,” says Sandro, a corrections officer, ceptions set by those who are not into it?
Graphics: Nhel Gecarane
