Burning lusis, a dozen grapes, and presents begging to be unwrapped—these paint the image of the colorful holiday season for Filipinos. For some, however, they count down to midnight in the backrooms of an office, the halls of a mall, or the operating rooms of a hospital. In the words of Dennis Odones, a security guard during the sunny hours of the holidays and a family guy by dusk, “Kahit holiday, nasa trabaho pa rin [ako].” He only gets to reunite with his loved ones when the festivities have mellowed and the handaan is tucked away in containers inside the refrigerator.
(Even if it’s a holiday, I’m still at work.)
Begone from the scene of dine and dance, many workers see the holiday season as a trade-off—time away from loved ones in exchange for financial stability or professional duty. Absent from the tables they toil to fill, people like Odones instead carry the weight of both responsibility and longing. Yet, it is in hoping for the payoff of working monumental days, preferably spent with loved ones, that they are able to persevere.
On duty for family
Despite the festive fervor of the holiday season, the world never stops, especially for frontliners. Medical professionals like Dr. Lester Panogan burn the midnight oil no matter the occasion. Panogan explains that being on call, and sometimes on the ground, is a nonnegotiable reality of their job. “Wala kasing pinipiling oras kung may tao na [nangangailangan] ng [medical] service,” he asserts, stressing the unpredictability of emergencies during the holidays. Beyond his own obligations, however, the municipal health officer views the season of giving as an avenue to give back to the community. “Despite not spending the holidays with my family, the self-fulfillment of knowing that I helped another person spend it with theirs still hits differently,” Panogan remarks in Filipino.
(There’s no telling when there will be people that need medical services.)
Similarly, in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, the grind continues—often at the cost of spending the season of love away from the people they cherish. Operations associate Daisy Gomez juggles work and family amid the festive stretch. “I’m just really working [during the holidays] for the money, but I really don’t want to,” she admits in Filipino. For Gomez, missing out on family traditions—cooking together, family games, and gift wrapping—is a small price to pay if it means meeting the family’s needs.
The same is true for Odones. It’s more the lack of manpower than it is the security guard’s own volition that forces him to work overtime. Absence of available substitutes aside, Odones anticipates the double pay rate during regular holidays. With the extra income, the officer takes comfort in knowing that he can make up for his absence and savor a belated holiday with his loved ones.
As a mother, Gomez details the heartbreak that comes with only being able to wish that the family is having a great time and enjoying the Noche Buena. “I don’t want to go back to [those] moments that I [was] away from my family during the holidays because it really hurts,” the BPO worker shares close to tears, recalling her yearning to be with her loved ones as fireworks lit the night sky outside their office. Across varying fields and different households, there will always be those who forgo the festivities in the name of being a provider.
Battling holiday blues
The benefits of working the holidays fill an undeniable economic gap for many Filipinos. However, it also blasts open a huge one in the Christmas spirit by taking precious time away from loved ones. “Of course, you’ll have regrets. You won’t get to celebrate [on] the day itself,” Dr. Panogan shares in Filipino.
Among Gomez’s regrets is being unable to spend the holidays at home when her daughter was merely a few years old. “It [became] a routine. Pagkaalis [ni] mommy, alam niya na. So hindi na siya nahihirapan, ako yung nahihirapan,” she laments. Even with well-intentioned relatives who dissuade her from clocking in, there is no other option but to work for income.
(When mommy leaves, she already knows. So it’s not difficult for her, it’s difficult for me.)
The loneliness can become gripping in long and cold shifts, but the warmth of the season finds its way to holiday workers through the people who share their emotional burden. Odones remarks that due to lessened foot traffic during the holidays, he takes the chance to celebrate the Christmas season with his co-workers. In the same spirit, Panogan shares that some family-owned hospitals invite staff to celebrate alongside them, while Gomez enjoys organizing potlucks and gift-giving in between peak hours. “You get to celebrate the holidays with [your coworkers]. Parang [itinuturing] mo na silang family during that time kasi sila yung kasama mo,” Panogan imparts.
(It’s like you count them as family during that time because they’re the ones you’re with.)
All roads lead home
In a post-pandemic world, some companies have opted to offer hybrid work for good. Employees such as Gomez view it as a silver lining to the global shutdown, “I’m more optimistic now when it comes to holidays because I can [better] prepare for the festivities. I have more time now,“ she relays in Filipino. Panogan shares the sentiments as he remains on call, however no longer has to report in person around the clock.
Of course, there are still jobs that require employees to be onsite all the time like Odones’ shift as a security guard. But the greatest gift has been an increased sense of empathy. Now more than ever, people are realizing the fleeting nature of life and how crucial it is to spend meaningful moments with the ones we love. Odones reveals that his coworkers and superiors are more amenable to negotiating shifts around the holidays, so long as there’s someone to relieve them. He notes, “Kahit isipin mo [na mahirap], obligado pa rin kami. Walang papalit sa amin, ‘di ba? Tiyaga na lang talaga.”
(Even if you think it’s hard, we’re still obligated. There’s no one to replace us, right? We must persevere.)
Even the most picturesque Yuletide won’t be complete without family, but Panogan emphasizes taking extra care during the holidays. “May konti kang sinakripisyo, [pero] may uuwian ka pang mga pamilya,” he reminds. Whether it be from working hard or enjoying the festivities, we must remember to never push past our limits. The warmth of a home, after all, comes from those who fill it with love. Gomez affirms, “Let’s make time for our family.”
(You sacrifice a little, but you still have a family to come home to.)
With reports from Crysha Dela Peña
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s January 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSJanuary2025.
