Situated in the basement right below an escalator of a mall near Marikina City, Arthur Leynes (right in photo) waits for a potential customer that might come his way. The interior of his booth is lined with different sketches in various mediums. Inside the store is another artist, sketching on a canvas. Verpan Artnook is the name of the small shop that Leynes owns together with his partner, Elver Panuela.
Leynes works as an artist in his day-to-day job. Prior to this, he taught philosophy and humanities in Adamson University. Panuela, on the other hand, studied illustration in college, with a degree in fine arts from University of the East Caloocan. Their work mainly consists of taking orders from customers and selling their art at varying price points depending on the size and the medium used. They begin operations at 10:00 AM and end at 9:00 PM every day--7:00 PM on Christmas--as per mall schedule.
Verpan Artnook stays open even on the 25th of December. “Basta opening [ng] mall, ‘yan nagtatrabaho na kami (For as long as the mall is open, we work),” he says.
In fact, work is especially hectic for Leynes and his partner during the holidays as there is a remarkable 95% increase in orders from customers, especially during Christmas. “Dumadami yung nagpapagawa kasi siyempre, pinangreregalo nila yun eh (The customers increase because they give the art as gifts),” he explains.
To Leynes, working during Christmas time is nothing out of the ordinary. “Kapag nandun ka sa posisyon, andun ka sa trabaho, magiging normal na lang yun eh (If you are in that position and are there at work, then it becomes normal),” he says.
Although Christmas is a holiday, Leynes and Panuela happily work to finish the sketches ordered in time for their due dates, considering that their art takes about a week or two to finish. “Hindi pwedeng hindi mo gawin. Kasi once na balikan nila yun...hindi mo nagawa, that’s another problem (You cannot not do it. Because once they come back for it...and you did not get to finish it, that’s another problem).”
We see this attitude in his mindset about the holidays as well. For instance, when it comes to Christmas as a whole, Leynes chooses not to view the celebration through a religious point of view. According to Leynes, doing so would inevitably lead to the thought that he has to rest during a special holiday. Instead, he chooses to simply consider Christmas as another day of work, reminding himself that they are “[bound] by the rules and regulations [of] the mall.”
In the end, Leynes states that, ultimately, to be working during Christmastime is a mere answer to a call of duty. “Kailangan mong itanggi yung sarili mo. (You have to deny yourself),” he says. “You have no choice but to do your part in your task.”
In the highly-urbanized Ortigas City, it’s easy to get caught up in the fast-paced environment of a city where every move counts for your paycheck. Just a couple of kilometers away from the hustle and bustle is Parang, Marikina, where you’ll meet 27-year-old and father of two Lunar Victor who frequents the Ortigas area as a cargo analyst in a business process outsourcing (BPO) company. His job entails monitoring the logistics of the company’s shipping services by determining cost-effective ways to complete shipments.
Coming from humble beginnings, Victor began working in the industry to fulfill his financial needs. Through a close friend, he was able to apply at the company he’s currently working in after going through multiple jobs. Victor was no stranger to the various ups and downs of job-hunting, but after gauging salaries and work environments, he eventually found the perfect fit for him in Silver City, a teleperformance business service.
As is expected of anyone in a BPO company, Victor has experienced his fair share of graveyard shifts and work on the holidays. “Para sa ‘kin, pang-alipin talaga ang dating [ng graveyard shifts at pagtrabaho tuwing Pasko ]. Same lang ‘yung routine mo araw-araw. Nakakaurat [at] nakakalungkot [ito], kasi paulit-ulit lang ‘yung buhay mo ,” he says.
(For me, you will feel like a slave during graveyard shifts and working during Christmas. The routine is the same. It’s tiring and saddening, because everything in your life is repetitive).
Working in the BPO industry comes with a plethora of caveats, but for Victor, dealing with frustrated customers is one of his biggest struggles. “Marami [akong nakakasalamuha na iba’t ibang customers] lalo na sa account ko ngayon. Mga matatanda na. Sobrang gagalitin nila. Talagang ‘pag tumawag pa lang, galit na galit na. Hindi mo mako -control [‘yung mga ganong sitwasyon] eh,” he laments.
(I encounter a variety of customers, especially in my account now. They’re old and often temperamental. Some of them are already angry when they call you. But you can’t control that kind of situation).
Despite these instances, Victor draws strength from many things. Being a young father of two, his family is his greatest inspiration. Financial insecurity does not change the fact that he is constantly motivated by his wife and children. Rather, he is only pushed to work harder for the sake of their futures: “Syempre iba ‘yung pamilya na bini -build namin. Kailangan magsikap din kami para sa sarili namin (Of course, we want to build our family. We have to persevere for our own sake).”
For those who try their luck at establishing careers at the heart of Metro Manila, burn out and exhaustion in one’s work becomes an all too familiar experience. However, Victor still finds a way to relax even when the going gets tough. In fact, he finds solace in dancing. "Iba rin ‘yung joy ng pagsasayaw...‘Pag pagod ka na magtrabaho, kailangan mo ng stress reliever. [Pagsasayaw] ‘yung stress reliever ko...Nagtuloy lang ako nang nagtuloy ng trabaho, hanggang sa sinipagan ko nang sinipagan, pero hindi pa rin ako tumigil sa pagsasayaw,” he says.
(The joy dancing gives is different...When you’re tired of working, you need a stress reliever. For me, dancing is my stress reliever...I just continued to persevere in my work, but I never stopped dancing).
Victor admits he always finds time to dance. It’s not only therapeutic for him after the long work week is over, but it’s also his way of giving back to the community where he lives. Oftentimes, Victor can be found teaching some of the neighborhood children of Marikina how to dance along to the latest beats on the radio. While this may initially look like something that’s all fun and games, Victor shares that he teaches dance to help children that he feels are going down a wrong path. The situation is all too familiar for him, and dance was one of the few things that got him through his struggles.
“Ayaw ko nang mangyari sa kanila [‘yung nangyari sa akin dati] (I don’t want them to experience what happened with me before),” he divulges, sharing that he got involved with the wrong crowd in his childhood. “‘Yun yung naging insipirasyon ko. ‘Yun nalang ‘yung naging bisyo ko, [ang] pagsasayaw (That became my inspiration. That became my only vice: Dancing).”
At the end of the day, Victor knows he should dance to the realities of life. After every obstacle he’s overcome from working all kinds of holiday shifts, it’s the only way to get through every day: “Hindi ganon karangya ang buhay namin. Syempre, may bills kami na kailangang bayaran ...Thankful pa rin ako kasi may trabaho ako [at] di ako nahihirapan (We don’t have well-off lives. Of course, there are bills we have to pay...I’m still thankful that I have a job and it’s not hard for me).”
Playing your cards right becomes part of surviving daily life, and Victor believes that the worst possible thing would be to not have any work at all. To him, any kind of work during the holidays is just one of the many sacrifices people have to make to get through each day. “Walang madaling trabaho sa totoo lang. Kailangan mo lang yakapin ang realidad. ‘Yun [ang] buhay eh. Kailangan mong magsagwan, kasi ‘pag di ka nagsagwan, hindi ka uusad (There’s no easy job, honestly. You just have to accept reality. That’s life. You need to keep rowing the boat, because if you don’t, you won’t move forward,)” he says.
There is not a tenant in My Place Residence Halls, Katipunan, who hasn’t encountered Alexander Seargent, fondly known by the dormers as Kuya Alex. While the technicalities of his job as Employee and Tenants Relations Officer mostly has him checking e-mails and streamlining operations, Seargent has also developed good relations with most of My Place’s occupants with his warm disposition and approachable temperament.
After six years of working at My Place, Seargent has seen a lot of residents come and go. To sit down and talk to them is more than just his occupation; he mentions that he considers the tenants as his own children--a sentiment that motivates him to take on holiday shifts.
The main reason why Seargent has had to be on duty during the holidays is because of My Place’s nature as a workplace. He mentions how My Place is part of a Filipino-owned chain of accommodations that are expected to run 24/7. “Maski holiday, may mga tao pa rin dito that need to be taken care of (Even though it’s a holiday, there are still people here that need to be taken care of),” Seargent shares.
Despite their commitment to caring for homeway students, Seargent and MyPlace's Christmas employee crew are far from tireless and invincible. As the familiar fatigue from a long day creeps in, Seargent blasts his favorite hits or scrolls through YouTube for random videos to keep the exhaustion at bay. These little joys are essential for Seargent’s morale, which quickly diminishes during the holiday season with only two other workers in the building to share in numerous responsibilites. The grand total of three employees unsurprisingly leads to more instances of overtime--but Seargent knows his limits and guarantees that he has never felt like the additional hours were too much for his well-being.
However, Seargent's optimistic disposition does not cancel out his longing to spend the holidays at home, surrounded by his loved ones. Seargent's sentiments further highlight the precarious balance that many Christmas workers have to manage to make ends meet: “May side na, syempre, malungkot kasi syempre you want to spend time with family (There’s a side that’s obviously sad because you definitely want to spend time with family),” he says. “ [Pero] medyo masaya nang kaunti kasi it’s double pay (It’s a bit happy because it’s double pay).” However, no amount of money can compensate for the warmth of spending the holidays with family. “Minsan na nga lang magka-holiday (Holidays don’t come every day),” Seargent laments.
Another blessing Seargent is grateful for is his MyPlace Christmas crew--a group that has mastered the art of compromise amid necessity. Seargent shares that there have been some Christmases in which he got to spend it in his actual home thanks to the flexibility of his teammates; in turn, he gladly clocks in on New Year’s day to return the favor. “It’s a sacrifice we’re happy to make,” Seargent says, talking about his co-workers and the many other teams of the dormitory—the security, the concierge, and the housekeepers.
One might wonder how the festive spirit still manages to survive in conditions so far away from home, but Seargent assures that they still “make ways to celebrate.” In fact, one Christmas, he had gone out in the middle of the night to buy some microwavable meals from 7/11, only to end up inviting the people behind the counter to dinner. They obliged, and Seargent’s makeshift Noche Buena with My Place’s guard and housekeeper, and 7/11’s cashiers was suddenly in full swing.
At the end of the day, Seargent has only one wish for those who avail of their services on the holidays: Compassion. “Wish ko lang na sana they empathize (I just wish they could empathize),” he says, noting that customers in hotels can be demanding at times. “Sana they understand na it’s still a holiday for us, too.”
“Spread love, lalo na sa mga naka-duty (Spread love, even more to those on duty),” Seargent concludes.
