The High Cost of the "Sideline": Is Hustle Culture Killing the Filipino VA?

Hey, welcome to Work from Home Base, the official podcast from onlinejobs.ph, broadcasting live from the heart of the remote work movement in the Philippines with your hosts Jehan and Jessica.

All right, welcome! Hello, hello, hello to our pilot episode of the onlinejobs.ph podcast. Hi Jess, kumusta?

Hi Jehan, okay lang, it's so hot here in Davao.

Same here. Are you at home? Yeah, because gas prices are high. How are the gas prices, Jan? My God, yeah, the prices here are double. Yeah, and diesel used to be the cheapest. Diesel, when there was that time, 25 pesos per liter. Now it's 105. Amen. So for emergency, yeah, the roads are quieter though.

So you know, the roads are quiet.

Yeah, no traffic. And I, I'm, you know, I'm a bit, I know, um, because right now calamansi is ₱1 per piece and is that ₱180 per kilo?

Yeah, for sure.

Affected talaga. Yeah, tumatastang talaga yung mabilihin. Oh my gosh, so we need, I think, extra income, side hustle.

Yeah, now is the best time to be working from home for sure. Kasi diba, wala ng pamasahe, wala ng ano, you don't need to eat out. Pero of course there's also the temptation to earn more.

Yes, and I think a lot of the online Filipino community is really considering adding more clients to their roster of employers.

No, yeah, but you know, I, well, I, I am not like— I, I know a lot of VAs, a lot of people who work online, they have multiple clients and I don't get to see them often because So you don't get to see them anymore.

Yeah, that's right, that's right. So actually, pilot episode na 'to, the topic that we're gonna be discussing today is very timely because today we're gonna talk about the hustle culture of, you know, the VA industry or the online Filipino specialist industry. So tama bang mga lek takana employers or clients bilang online Filipino specialist. So that's what we're going to be discussing discussing today. And we also have a guest, the team lead for our SEO writing team, see, Miss Princess Serrano. Hi, Miss Lee. I call her Miss Lee because that's what you name her, but she's Princess to everyone in OnlineJobs.ph. Hi, Miss Princess.

Hi, Miss Jess, Miss Jan. Okay, na man, totoo yung sinasabi nyo toko sa gas prices dito din sa Quezon City where I live. Dumoble na talaga sumampa na talaga ng 100. I think it's currently na sa 130, 120-ish yan.

Oh no! And nakita kung asa ano wala na halos sa sakinsa Ed sa kayo no? People are rushing to work.

Yes, grabe. So kayo ano, yung pila sa carousel, sa MRT, grabe talaga kayo ano. You damin ang taon na walang Options.

So actually, we're fortunate, stable income right now, online jobs. But let's talk about that hustle culture. Which is, we're fortunate But affected pa rin tayo, don't you think? Affected pa rin naman ang online or remote work community when it comes to— Siempre mabilihin, yuma laquatsha natin, yuma eat out kami zamin san. Do you feel the effect on your end also?

Yeah, of course. Yeah, see, Princess, go ahead.

Ah, kasi kahit na man hindi tayo machado ng malabas na bibili tayo ng gas or gagamit tayo ng ano, vehicles. Immortal. And then you price affected.

Yes, and that begs the question, is it time for, um, for us to get more or to, you know, uh, look for additional employers? Um, already said that we're gonna have a look today. On topic here is title, yeah, I saw this on TikTok and grabbe ang galing naman, 9 clients. The background, he's a pre-med student now juggling 9 clients. Grabbe lang pero ang galing. Currently, uh, the original poster has 1 client and he's planning to add 1 or 2 more this year. So to those who have multiple clients, how do you manage your time? And honestly, sa tingin nyo, ilang clients ba talaga sustainable, need ko lang ng extra push. And maybe siga, ilang clients ba talaga sustainable, 9 clients na tutulu pa kayah eto.

Tapos pre-med pa sha.

Pre-med, yes.

Yeah, pre-med pa. Yeah. Sobrang puno nang schedule nyan. Although hindi naman ako nag pre-med, I took up nursing kasi sa college. So, gising na ako before 7 kasi 7 na class ko. And then 7 na manung matatapos yung ano yung aro ko. Tapos yung assignments ka pa, pa practice ka pa ng skills mo. Tapos magtatrabaho pa sha na 9 clients. Buhay pa ba sha.

I wish there was more context on what the 9 clients are. You know, level 9 full-time, or, um, different ads. So that means you're not working full-time, and maybe it's possible. So my additional information on the post.

Okay, let's read the top comments. Okay, oh my, update actually. Original post, so you comment on the post. Hello everyone, I didn't expect my TikTok post to blow up since speculations. I'll just clarify some things here. I only work 8 to 10 hours a day. I am a pre-med student, so I am more than aware of the consequences of not having enough sleep. My niche is SMM marketing, and all of them except one are not time-bound, meaning as long as outputs goods lang, because they're paying me per package, not per hour. My clients know I have a team. My scholars are trained. Oh, my scholars din sha are trained by my team, and they help me in exchange of paying for their tuition fees. Oh wow, he also helps people. So tithes, um, it is taken from 10% of my combined income. Separate ko lang sha na portion kasi don sa bank account ko na yun na ka place yung pang tithes ko at para di mahalos mo bills and expenditures. I have a life, makikita nyo na man if you stalk me na I also frequently travel and take a rest from work. Ang harsh ng ibang comments dito and it's sad to see people trying to badmouth me. Oh, so he's doing well and he's a social media marketer and He has a team. So that's that. But what do you think of the experience?

It gives us a good perspective of how people view multiple clients and the kind of information that is provided. At least in this COP, the one that I finished, he was honest enough to say that it's a different situation, it's like this. I have people to help me. I'm not full-time, I'm not time-bound. So versus, you know, you just announce that I have 9 clients and I earn a lot and that's it. So that gives a wrong impression to those who don't actually know what you're doing.

Yes, actually, because it means misconception. I'm not sure if it's onlinejobs.ph, not in the Facebook group, that they want to have at least 2 or 3 full-time clients, which is mahirap kasi ko full-time, it means you're gonna do 8 hours per day for one. Hindi nang lang sa client eh kasi kailangan din natin i-clear yung distinction between client and employer. Pag employer full-time ka, so 8 times 3, how many hours is that per day? Boy, kapwa. Hindi mo kaya ninyan lulusut ka nasa padiran nyan.

Takaayo ma, sinasabi na kakaenila. Something's got to give. It's either your life, your relationships, or your work. Kasi finite lang naman yung hours mo per day. So, papano mo pag si sik-sik yung 2 or 3 full-time clients a day.

Ay, yung ba na kasubok ba kayo ng multiple clients?

Yes.

Oh, before.

Sigay, Miss Lhiquentomo.

During pandemic kasi, to, Miss Mis-mems, mga mens. So I tried juggling 2 to 3 full-time clients. No, sabi ko, kasi writer lang naman ako, hindi ko naman halaga na full 8 hours. So kaya ako mag-sabay. Fast forward, hindi ko sha kaya ko mag-sabay. Meron bumigay na, aga yan nuna bangit ko hanina. Something's got to give, and unfortunately it was my health back then. Nagkasakit ka? Po, nagkasakit ako. And I was pregnant at that time, so Nakunana ako. That has a stress.

Oh, I'm so sad to hear that. Yeah, actually, may ganang misconception din kaya taho before. Danyan din yung nagging ano ko, misleading na writer lang naman ako kaya nincoto. Pero nag-suffer yung quality ng work, nag-suffer talaga yung—

Yes, meron talaga. Meron talaga mag-suffer, Jan, one way or another.

Mm-mm.

Tapos yung client biglan nilang ako ano kase parang hindi ko nana-bibigay yung 8 hours per day na full-time na kaylang aña na 2 hours per day lang ako. Yung biglan nilang ako inan hire. Wala ng maraming sabi-sabi pa. Pak-an hire, wala nang palahong client.

But dali kasama pang-sinyane, kapag preoccupied ka, pag-di mo binibigay yung full attention mo sa isang tao. So it's unfair, you know, on hindsight then, it's unfair na they're giving you, they're paying you for a full 8 hours pero yung attention mo, hati. It's not fair.

Oh, see, Annelie, I think One of the reasons for that is because, you know, there are a lot of inspirational posts na ano kasi pinagmamaya bang diba na, "Oh, lang tulog, gawpat ang clients ko full-time minsila lahat." It's become very— how do you call that? It's not just normalized, it's also romanticized.

Glamorized?

Yes, yeah, it's glamorized. So, yung mga hindi pa nakasubok who are considering it because it's so glamorized, because it's so romanticized, you know, they are tempted to actually try it and then mahilap mahilap talaga yung full-time. I would say kaya ko, you know, isang part-time and then may isang full-time ka, to syndika time-bound and both employers know what you're doing because meri consideration dinaman, diba? Meri consideration ng employers especially kung hindi nila kaya ng ibigay yung hinahanapon na salary and they say it's okay. As long as you know my terms, pero most of the time, I don't romanticize that. I'm doing it full-time.

And part of glamorization and romanticization of that multiple clients thing is because since the pandemic, the parang uso na salita is 6-digit income, 6-digit income. So parang people are focusing so much on the 6-digit income, na parang hindi na na-isip yung ano no, niyo magiging consequences. Personally, at least 3 clients, dalawa full-time, isang part-time, dun ko na realize na okay, I'm earning what, $3 per hour for each client. Parang lugi pa din kase I could have spent all those hours na mag-upskill na lang sana ko para mas makapag-offer mas matahas na skill para mas ma-promote ako dito. Parang ang naiyari, hindi na ako nagkaroon ng opportunity to be promoted to a higher position in each of the clients' companies that I worked with. Kasi yung skill level ko, pang $3 per hour lang sha, hindi na sha umangat. So parang lugipadin in the long run.

Yeah, I think it's a great alternative. For the people who are considering, na, or a common reason is, you know, you need more money. Um, what are the ways to earn? You lay out all your options first. Is it just to get multiple full-time clients and sacrifice, or is it possible kasi diba kung ang galin mo nakaya mo dalawa ang full-time work? Imagine mo na lang, If you are able to focus on just one but then upskill and diba, you know, try to increase your pay instead.

Yes, that's true.

Ayan.

Ayan. And I think most of the comments dunsa Reddit thread na binasa ko kanina would agree to what we're really talking about right now. Disappoint natin na okay ayu multiple clients but not full-time. So ayad ba sahin mo natin yung ibang mga comments dito. Ayan. Sabi ni— I have 7 clients right now. Clients na man, hindi employer. Ibigsabihin, contracts/projects, hindi full-time job. And sabi pa nitong Isa, sabi, depending on the number of hours and income. Kung mababa rate, siguro magahabol ka talaga. But if premium rate, kahit isa full-time and isa part-time, kayang tumbasan 9 clients. Tama naman, right? Yes, it's too much. I'm looking at the comments. Okay, so we have here another one. I have 2 full-time but output-based, so full 8 hours as long as I finish the job. That is the only reason. 8 hours, pero output-based, hindi sha. I think walang time tracker ito.

Pagbaga ganyan feasible yan kasi I think they have an understanding, all parties. Saka yung output-based, so at least pag easy siya talaga para ma alternate niya yung work as long as mahigit niya yung— kailangan niya mahit.

Wala kila laho. No pag lumalabas, Shemta, you need to go out. Pag lumalabas, solo one laptop yung bitbit. Low? My time tracker, clients, yeah. Imagine, are you really going to put yourself through all of that?

Honestly, laptop, output, and Union, full-time, my time tracker, um, hardcore level skills, but since focus for them, they really let me go. Public parentayo sa output based on the skill level.

2 to 3 laptops, my dinner with family, my outings, whatever.

Yes, exactly.

Sabino receptionist, table for one, hindi for four.

3 laptops and 1 person.

Virtual dates. Oh, I cringe at myself remembering.

Family members, loved ones, na sa pool na gay enjoy. Tasi ka, solo, kawawa ka naman. You juggle ka pa lang ng trabaho.

True.

Hindi mo na rin na enjoy yung outing niyo.

It actually came to a point na hindi nani-lakos yung nasama.

Sad.

Yeah, so yung something's got to give and your family and social life ko kaya walaw ka mag-shadow friends din mo lang ng nag-work from home ako.

Fallacy, alam mo, you have to go back to what your reasons are for working online. Diba you work online para maghaba ko ang oras mo? You can spend time with your family or you can still travel. So what's the point diba? Oh, nasapalawan ka pero nasalaptop ka lang the entire time, you're not even enjoying yourself. So on point purpose, technically you're working anywhere, pero you're just working, you're not enjoying.

True, true, exactly. That's really true actually. Experience-based, talaga niyan. So yung dun ka ba ito, totoo ko rin eh, parang ina ano ko din, hindi ko rin masado din ni discourage yung mga baguhan, especially mga trainees ko sa ano, sa DICT na training. Indiko sa di ni discourage na kung ano multiple clients, kasi gusto ko learn from your own experience learn from it the hard way. Additional comments. Health insurance, don't forget.

Health, work from home or writer kalaang or designer kalaang. Hindi po hunan mui yung katawan mo yung oras mo. Yung sanity mo bakamameya pa tayo yung loved ones mo pangalan naman boss mo yung tinatagos sa kanila sa dami ng juggle mo yun.

But yeah, kalamihan multiple clients are very young because they still have a lot of energy, they're still curious, and of course they don't have any negative experience from it yet. So hindi lang loved ones, but love life, kids. You're only young once.

So ibig sabihin pa din na palako mag multiple clients kasi quarantahin ako. Quarantahin na tayo. Hindi na kayo namakasukasuan. Why not?

Work from home love life.

Love life dalo. But it's a fun comment dito ang Sabine. I did 3 to 4 multiple clients before, iba iba ang shifts until graveyard. Graveyard is nighttime, and one client is Monday to Sunday. Whoa, masarap yung sahod, pero bumagsaktalaga health ko non, na burnout din ako. Ayon, na saludo ako sa hustle na mga my multiple clients, pero wagyon ka limutan na lagaan sa riliño, please lang. Walang dollar ang makakatumbas sa buhay niyo. Oh, deba.

Agree.

In this economy, para, isambesas ka lang makasakit, lahat ng years na iniipon mo, wiped out yan.

Yes.

Ang hirap pagkasakit niyon, kagagalin ko lang sa hospital and just ko hindi dapang. Ang hirap kasi up to the last na gauze nagagamitin sayo, the smallest piece of gauze or alcohol swab, babayaran mo. So para niyon sinahod mo, Hospital. Yeah, and so, and mostly full-time employers, they usually require time tracker experience, usually time proof or time doctor. Sabe la, time doctor. But it's just a recipe for a breakdown. It's a recipe for burnout talaga.

Yeah, just to be clear, we're not completely discouraging multiple clients, especially kung kaya, and you know, there's flexibility also. Or sometimes, like, I know, hopefully, you know, others But the perspective of Nila is, I just need— you're trying to raise funds. I need to work these many hours for 3 months and then I can stop. Well, I think that's more realistic because I know that you're not forever in a kaayanang katawan. So yes, I agree. Careful and be realistic when you do these things.

Agree. My friend, time limit. To me, focus output-based clients after realistic. TikTok. TikTok live, power station, rotational blackout.

Miss Lee, what? Yes, so what's the bill? Um, 800, I think 800 watt.

22, 30 $26K.

That's a $29K.

You think 500 watts, that's a $22K. Additional client, sugar daddy.

Sorry.

And so actually, most of the other comments, this is a Reddit post. It really just highlights everything that we have talked about here. Pero meron dito isang nag-mention, retainer. So ano habang retainer client and is it possible to have more than one retainer client?

Ah, that's for HighLevel. So ano ha, if having multiple clients is truly your goal, then You need better skills because when you're at that level, people will just put you on retainer whether you work or not. The point is they're paying you a retainer para pa kaylangan ka naniila, you're available. So, di ba? Salap ng buhay binabayalan ka kahit walang work.

That's a very good goal, but it will take years for you to reach that, and only if your skill is good enough or high enough to reach that level na on call ka na lang at isang horas mo lang ayusin yung issue ni client or isang horas mo lang tutukan yung issue ni client tapos na mafi fix mo na sha.

I think ang good news nyan is because of all of the changes in technology and in online work, it's possible it won't take you as long anymore. To be on that level. Because example, AI, no-code, there are a lot of skills right now, na bagopa. So if you start learning, kasabay mo yung mga veterans, but you know, pwede naman na you learn faster than them. So you get to that consultant level, to that being, to that retainer level much faster. So That what would take people like 10 years may only take you 2 years, right? So I know people, the people who work online right now, they're in a very good position to actually earn more without killing themselves.

Nag hindi tumatako sa pader. Oh, makapag upskill ka lang, if you're able to focus. You still need to train AI, but it's still not that bad.

Yes.

So, all right, so interesting discussion today, and you know, but thank you so much, Miss Lee, for, um, convince me to appear or be a guest in this podcast. But thank you so much for gracing us on our pilot episode. Um, any last words?

Upskilling. Namas madaling kayo ang kasime AI. That may be true for the late millennials and the Gen Zs, pero yung samang older generation na Gen X, boomers, sasmi, may hirapan rin sila mag catch up kasi ambilis ng turnover ng technology. So samang older generations na uso sa ano, sa analog, sa manual, Baka malula sila. So they may feel lost. Ano na susunod kung gagawin pa nang mag-aral daniya? They may look to traditional modes of learning na hindi rinaman masyado binibigay sa atin or walang masyado opportunities malibans sa tech and educational centers compared sa mga mas bata-bata pa na kayan nilang sumabay sa daloy ng buhay.

True, true. Multiple clients is possible, but only if— only if what?

But only if you're realistic.

Yes, realistic. So being realistic about having multiple clients is knowing your limits as a human being as well.

Agree.

Agree.

Ayan, so that's our reminder that health is your biggest asset and Oh, but it's most of the time inflation is temporary, but burnout is a long-term problem. So, uh, you still need to take care of your health.

Don't settle for 9 low-paying gigs. Head on to onlinejobs.ph and find that one premium client that values your time.

Yes, and remember, kahit mahal ang gas, libre pa rin ang mga arap. Thank you so much everyone for listening. Kita kita sa susunod na episode. If you have any questions, violent reactions, comments, feedbacks, feel free to let us know.

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