Writer: Jordan Mayor Carbo
Edited by: Kiddie Rodaje
“You don’t have to have the same blood to be family.”
I was the 6th out of 10 siblings and growing up we did not receive any support from our parents. My parents decided to separate because they believe that the relationship was not healthy anymore. I was left in my aunt’s “care”. That did not go well either. Every day was a constant battle on how to survive and at a very young age, I was already working to support myself. Life was so hard and meaningless that I decided to just end it all. I survived. I was hospitalized for months. I guess life had a different plan for me.
When I turned 18, I was very happy! I was finally an adult! Finally, I could do something on my own to improve my life. After graduating highschool I decided to continue my studies by applying for a college scholarship. But I knew that even though my tuition was already taken care of, I still needed money for food and other basic necessities. With hope and anxiety in my heart, I took the chance to apply for a job opening in a BPO company and I got the job!
I was offered a full-time position as an agent, which meant I needed to render 8 hours of work every night. It was such a good opportunity that I could not afford to let it go, so I decided to work and also be a full-time Bachelor of Arts in Communication college student. As expected my health was compromised. I was not getting proper sleep at all! I was up the whole night servicing irate customers and in the morning I attended classes. I was taking naps in between classes just so I can rest. People around me started worrying and some even expected me to fail. But the more pressure I was under, the more resilient I became!
One time I even missed a midterm exam because we had to give mandatory overtime. The familiar feeling of helplessness started to manifest again. But I became my own cheerleader! I kept telling myself, “Kaya mo yan Fats!”. That I could survive this! At night I was a call center agent and in the morning I attended classes. Every free time I got was spent either on resting and studying. I am very proud to share that my hard work paid off and for 2 semesters up until now, I have always been a part of the Dean’s list.
Even though unfortunately I am estranged from my parents and siblings, I still thank God for giving me a new set of family at work. I have my best friend, Gee who is always there to give me advice when I need guidance. My office family is super duper supportive, I was nicknamed, “Bibi girl” as I was the youngest sibling in the team. I often hear stories about the toxic work environment in other BPO companies – I guess I am very lucky to be part of a team that does not have time for negativity.
Even though unfortunately I am estranged from my parents and siblings, I still thank God for giving me a new set of family at work. I have my best friend, Gee who is always there to give me advice when I need guidance. My office family is super duper supportive, I was nicknamed, “Bibi girl” as I was the youngest sibling in the team. I often hear stories about the toxic work environment in other BPO companies – I guess I am very lucky to be part of a team that does not have time for negativity.
Weeks went by before I received an email notification regarding my team lead application. After reading the email, I asked myself if “Nanaginip ba ako!?”. I got the position! I was very ecstatic! I still could not believe it! The idea of me being a team lead felt surreal. It was not until the previous team lead messaged me and congratulated me on my promotion that I got conviced that it was really happening! I cried. I cried because I finally made it. All those days, weeks, and years of sacrifices and sleepless days (and nights) finally paid off. The burden of constantly questioning my self worth was finally lifted. Kaya ko pala talaga!
I am still in the same BPO company for 3 years. 3 years as a full-time agent and student with promotion pa! It’s funny that now, as a team lead my teammates would still call me “bibi girl”. I have proven that with enough resiliency, time management, and with the right people, you too could do it! If the iyakin bibi girl who started with no emotional and financial support could do it, so can you!
