A Curious Case Study on Why Filipinos Don't Really Have the Right to Say "I Can't Find a Job"

Imagine this.

Let’s say, you’re a white collar worker and just today, you were surprised when something suddenly popped up and caused you an abrupt termination from your job.

I know how awful this would be like. But since you're confident with your indestructible,  strong personality, you believe that you can easily move on from this tragic scenario.

As a matter of fact, just right after being kicked out, you have already formulated your survival back-up plan and figured out all the possible options:

A. Go job-searching again
B. Call your best friend/your mom/dad for immediate help
C. Temporarily use and spend your savings account
D. (Optional) Go out and start selling kwek-kwek, tokneneng and fish balls...or maybe become a pedicab driver for a while.

Options B and C could possibly be your first choice. It can be the easiest and the most reliable life-saver at the moment. While Option A, is the best thing to do a few days after doing Options B and C. But how about Option D? You might consider this, but this is going to be your last resort for sure.

I can feel how hesitant you are to consider Option D. But what if I tell you that some people really get an adequate income from just selling street food like kwek kwek, isaw and fish balls alone? Would you believe?


One day, I visited some of Manila's busiest places to do a further investigation. Since I have been hearing beautiful stories about these people's hidden success, I was pushed to find out if these stories are really true.

And here's what I have discovered...

The Untold, Silent Stories of Success Along Manila's Busiest Streets

One afternoon, I decided to visit Plaza Goiti near Carriedo to spot any vendor that I can talk to about my research.

There, I was able to speak with Ate Lynn, a street vendor who sells tokneneng and kwek-kwek—some famous street food in the Philippines. Kwek kwek refers to the smaller quail eggs while tokneneng are the larger chicken eggs. These are hard-boiled eggs covered with orange flour batter and then are being cooked again by deep-frying them.

Ate Lynn's tokneneng and kwek-kwek's cart

As a vendor for 4 years now, she earns P400 to P500 daily. According to her, with perseverance and with the right attitude, it's not impossible to surpass any of life's financial challenges.

Can you see how many street food lovers like her tokneneng and kwek-kwek? 

Great job, Ate Lynn!

Also in the same area, I spotted Mang Orlan, a horseman who accompanies and escorts visitors around the city with his calesa. Doing the same job since 1995, he earns P200 to P1000 pesos per day. He said that he is contented and proud of what he is doing. Though, it's really hard to be on the streets everyday, at least his responsibility in providing all the needs of his family is never neglected.

Mang Orlan with his calesa at Plaza Goiti

Shortly around Carriedo, I saw Cedric with his fish ball cart parked along the crowded street. He was so busy that day assisting and serving some hungry customers so I was only able to chat with him for a couple of minutes.

Cedric, in his mid-20s is earning a minimum of P1000 per day from just selling fish balls and sago at gulaman alone. Though he jokingly said that going to the toilet to pee is just the only way for him to get some rest, he never thought of changing or quitting his job at all.

Cedric is busy assisting and serving his customers some fish balls and sago at gulaman

Fish balls in the frying pan

Inside Intramuros, the historic 'walled city' a hundred steps away from Carriedo, I was also able to listen to the inspiring story of this pedicab driver named Angel. He's a bit camera shy so I wasn't able to get a photo of him with his pedicab.

Earning a minimum amount of P300 per day, he has been active with this kind of job for two years now. He is also a college student during the day and a father to a family at the same time. He admitted that becoming a pedicab driver did not only help him support his schooling but this job made it easy for him to provide his family needs too.

The Moment of Truth: No Filipino Has the Right to Say "I Can't Find a Job"

Unemployment is now a long-term issue here in the Philippines. Though the government is trying to put their best foot forward to help resolve the problem; still, the percentage of Filipinos who don't have a job is getting higher each year. What could've been the cause?

Quezon City Mayor, Herbert Bautista once commented through Manila Bulletin:

“Every year, our colleges and universities are producing millions of graduates who simply end up among the unemployed because their courses are incompatible with what jobs are available.”

Is he indirectly discouraging you from going to colleges and universities to get higher education? Not at all, since getting a degree is everybody's personal choice. But if we dig deeper into the context, he just wanted that every Filipino should also consider the jobs that are available.

Anyways, what are these types of job? Let's put it this way.

If you think that getting a white collar job is nearly impossible nowadays, why not consider putting up a small business—this job is always available, plus it does not even require you to submit a resumé. Isn't a sari-sari store or a carinderia a good idea too? Or why not start selling some banana cue, camote cue or taho instead? Like the story of Cedric, it's not really impossible to earn as much as P1000 by just selling fish balls and sago at gulaman alone! 

Because the truth is, there is really no reason for anyone to say, "I don't have a job" or "I can't find a job". Only those who are sick, old, bed-ridden and disabled people have the right to say that. If we look around, there are lots of potential opportunities. However most of the time, we tend to overlook or ignore them because we are drowned with the idea that these kind of 'humble' jobs do not fit the degree we finished in college.

Think differently. Be practical. Success is just around the corner.

Admit it or not, but our pride or ego sometimes can also dictate or alter our decisions when choosing a job. For an instance, if you once worked in a fully air-conditioned office before, of course you don't want to see yourself working along the streets with a fish ball cart after! You might say, "that's ridiculous" and might think about what will your family and friends say if you do that.

In this short case study, I just learned that higher education is not the only key to a successful life. It's all about considering the 'available' opportunities. It shows that if you can't find any, then you should be resourceful enough to create one for yourself! I think the lesson that this study wants to communicate is, we should be more practical and sometimes we should learn to swallow that pride so we can freely move forward.