The Run Away Girl Found A Job (My Strenuous Life Before Working Abroad)

June 3, 2021

I was inspired to write this after reading @Jonjonjon article about his solo journey in a giant city. If you want to read it, visit this link.

The Run Away Girl Found A Job

Way back in May 2015, I ran away from home due to some issue with my father. All I have was Php 3,000 in my wallet and my set of gold jewelry that I bought when I worked in Cebu. But it was like a blessing in disguise since I got a job just a week after that incident. I started to work as a Caregiver in the Philippines and I took care of a former Mayor of our city. He's a quite huge old man with an old hag wife. But my duty didn't last for long as he was too heavy to assist, getting him up from the bed was the difficult part of my duty as I need to exert too much force to lift him because he can't lift his body by himself. His old hag wife was annoying as well and I told myself not to continue my duty, it only lasted for four days and I didn't go back to their house anymore.

I Got Scammed

I saw an advertisement on Facebook about Success200 where I will be able to get Php 10,000 in every exit. I don't know yet about the ponzi scheme at that time and I was encouraged by my upline to get multiple accounts. It was viral that time on different social media, successful uplines even put up their own businesses and built their houses through their profits from Sucess200. It was even featured on the television, so I thought it was legit.

I pawned some of my gold jewelry to buy multiple accounts. The was almost Php 17,000 but after a few months, the company became a scam. And I didn't get a single cent from my investment.

(I continued to pay the monthly interest of my pawned jewelry, and I was able to redeem them only when I worked here in HK.)

Second Duty

My next patient was a former doctor, a pretty old woman with a quite strict old spinster sister. I felt comfortable working in their house since they have their own maids who sometimes helped me to execute a certain task. The room where I stayed with my patient was also air-conditioned so despite hot weather outside, I was sitting cool and pretty 😅 beside my patient. The tasks weren't that complicated as well, only assisting her while bathing, dressing, encouraging her to do exercise, going to the toilet for urinating and defecating, walking, eating, getting vital signs, etc. with free meals and snacks. But after four months, her children abroad called and decided to send her to a home for the aged in Manila where a physician can easily look after her in a place with better facilities. (Can't upload a photo with her, I still can't open my laptop 😭)

(After two months of working here, I applied in a private hospital as Nursing Assistant but didn't last long as I went back to my duty as a private Caregiver since it offers a higher salary than working in the hospital. I only worked for four days in the hospital and didn't go back there anymore. I was so unprofessional right?, did not even submitted a resignation letter since I was only a trainee, but still, it was unprofessional.)

Third Duty

My co-caregiver recommended me to be her reliever and she was taking care of an old woman with heart pace-maker at the hospital by that time. A mother of a doctor working in a private hospital in our city. I accepted her offer right away since the hospital was just a few walk away from my boarding house. After a few weeks, my patient has been discharged and was sent home. I was in awe when I saw their house, huge but I was disappointed to know that it's not air-conditioned, seemed like the family of doctors was thrifty. It's where I met the maid with a disability that I mentioned in my article I'm Not Just A Caregiver. My duty has graveyard shifting and I sometimes take the 24-hr duty. The works were not hard anyway, only struggling sleeping while thinking about my patient that might get up by herself at any time while I was sleeping.

Aside from these three patients, I also worked as a reliever of two different patients during my available time. Caregiving is the toughest job I ever had. I don't even know why I continued this job even if it's too hard.

January 2016

In January 2016, the biggest public hospital in our city looked for Nursing Assistants, with my friends, we took the opportunity and submitted our resumes. After taking the exam which was like a Civil Service exam, we have waited for 5 months (May 2016) before the results came out. Luckily, I and my two friends Mitch and Mafe passed the examination and we're eligible for the next interview. Some of my Caregiving classmates did not pass the examination and just worked in a private hospital that requires no examination and tough interviews.

After a few months, the hospital staff called us to attend the interview along with other exam passers. It was a panel interview and I wasn't that worried about the questions since I was not alone inside the room. And it was also an advantage to be called second to the last as I was able to compose an answer in my mind before the interviewer called my name. 😂 I passed the interview (I guess) and we just waited for the next interview.

Death Reunited Us

I was on duty that time when my brother texted me, "grandfather just passed away." Tears rolled on my face and became unfocused on my duty. I don't want my patient to worry about me so I waited until my shift ended before I told her about my grandfather's death. She allowed me to take a break from work so I can visit my grandfather in my hometown. I took a few days' leave to attend my Lolo's wake.

While on my way back home I was so sad while reminiscing the happy memories with my Lolo, at the same time, I was worried because I will see my father's face again. I don't even know that time what I will react once I saw him again. As I stepped into our house, I saw my father and I felt that he has changed, he has changed in a good way. By that moment I told myself, "let the time heal the wound."

My Lolo's death reunited us and fixed the broken pieces of yesterday. From that month onwards, I felt better and lighter, as I learned how to let go of the grudge I was holding against my father for a long time.

October 2016

The waiting for the interview result was too long and we even thought that we failed the interview. I saw a job opportunity on Facebook which was hiring for Caregivers bound to Hong Kong and Singapore. I search about the agency and it was legit. So I submitted my resume and waited for their interview. After almost a month of waiting, the interviewer emailed me and told me to prepare for an interview. The interview happened while I was on duty and was done through my mobile phone only.

The next day after the interview, the interviewer emailed me and told me that I was included in their database pool already, meaning I have passed the interview and just need to wait for an employer to hire me. She also told me to submit my requirements to their Manila branch so my application can be processed right away while waiting for a job order.

December 2016

I took a leave from my job and my friends went to Manila to attend another job interview bound to Hong Kong. I took the opportunity to submit my requirements to the mentioned Manila branch of the HK agency. However, when we get to Manila, I have attended the interview recommended by my friend and wasn't able to submit my requirements to the HK agency for Caregivers. We went back home after a week and I have regretted not submitting my requirements. If I only know how to travel alone around Manila at that time, I should have able to submit my requirements.

I was confident that I have passed the interview with the other agency since the interviewer assured me. However, all the job orders were not my cup of tea and I was still hesitant to go abroad yet.

The Tough Decision

Our friend who recommended us to apply as Nursing Assistant in a public hospital called us one day and informed us that the hospital is urgently needing more Nursing Assistants so we were called in advance (She was working as NA in that hospital too). By that time, I was still working as a private caregiver and I was confused if I will give up my job and work in the hospital, or pursue my application for Hong Kong.

I rather have one choice than have many because it's always a tough decision to choose the best one. When the hospital staff called me, I just told him that I was on duty and doesn't have any reliever so I can't work yet at the hospital.

January 2017

The start of the year 2017 was lucky when I got an email from the HK agency and told me that I was shortlisted and needed to submit my requirements. That was my greatest regret since I did not submit my requirements when we went to Manila last October 2016.

My friends are not interested to apply anymore since they did not receive any call yet from the Manila agency they have applied to. Except for Ate Emily, she's the only one eager to go abroad. I have saved more money this month because I have made up my mind and decided to continue my application for HK.

But the email says I need to submit the requirements in the next 3 working days, which was impossible for me to perform since our province is too far from Manila. I thought I will gonna lost this opportunity especially when I wasn't permitted to leave my duty.

February 2017

I made up my mind and I resigned from my current job and I was really sad leaving my sick patient. But then for my dream, I need to do so. I also rejected the job offer of the public hospital even though I have submitted my requirements already. But what I really wanted was to work abroad and I hoped that the Caregiving job for HK was still available. Multiple working opportunities came, but I only chose one, to pursue my application for HK.

I went to Manila by land and the 24-hour journey was truly arduous. I remember it wasn't only 4 bags of vomitous that I have discarded through my entire journey. When I reached Manila I was like a rotten vegetable, smelt like vomit, and totally weak and dehydrated. I stayed in the house of Ate Emily's relative for a few days before I looked for a boarding where I can stay since I'm not really used to live with others especially in my non-relative house.

Changed of Plans

I was supposed to submit my requirements to HK Agency but it did not happen. My friend's relative was an agent for applicants bound to Taiwan and Malaysia. I applied for Taiwan and my friend applied for Malaysia since she doesn't have UMID yet and it was one of the requirements in Taiwan.

After a few days, ate Emily got an employer immediately and she completed her application within a week. Meanwhile, after a week I received a call from the Agency for Taiwan and they required me to submit my requirements. That day, I was hesitant because I was thinking about the HK Agency, but I still submitted my requirements. I was ashamed to talk to Ate Emily to say that I want to pursue my application for HK.

After a month, Ate Emily went back to her province while waiting for her visa for Malaysia and I was left alone in Manila. I was worried at first and doesn't know what to do.

I felt sad and depressed that all my plans have changed and by that time, all I was thinking was the time and opportunities I have wasted. I seriously don't like working in the Home For Aged in Taiwan since I have learned about the difficult job inside, handling multiple patients, lack of food and rest, and might don't have any holiday. I might be totally sick there.

Each night alone was destressing but I didn't want to go back home without good news. So I stayed longer in Manila, and my solo journey will be my next article 😁.

Thanks for reading.