TB patient can't get any work

Dear Nanay,

I am an avid fan and reader of your column and finally got the courage to write you and ask for your help. I am 25 years old and it’s been five years since I graduated from college. I’m getting older and I now see my life in the trash. I’m in too much pain and keeping it to myself since I can’t tell everything to my mom. I don’t want to cause her so much stress. Aside from the fact that she has a heart problem, telling her my troubles will just put her in a bad situation.

‘Nay, I’m getting frustrated being a big bum. Why don’t companies consider applicants with medical constraints? I can’t count on my fingers how many times I have applied, passed all the interviews and exams, and was eventually unable to get the job because of my medical condition. I was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis.

In our society, people with this kind of condition are disregarded and people stay away from us because they are afraid of becoming infected. But why don’t others give us a chance?

When I was in college I worked on a service crew while studying. Maybe I worked too hard and didn’t take care of my health. But, even though I underwent the necessary medication, I still can’t get work because of my medical history, even though I show documents supporting the treatments I had. How can I seek treatment (if I need it again) if I don’t have work or even a single centavo to my name?

It has crossed my mind to end my life, but I’m still holding on and hoping that one day everything will be okay with God’s grace. All I want is to help my family and save for my future.

When my brother and I had a fight, he told me, “College graduate ka nga wala naman trabaho. Nagtapos ka pa! Dagdag palamunin din naman!” (You’re a college graduate but jobless. You’re just another mouth to feed!) He’s right and I don’t want this. I want to have a good job and a chance to help in the family. I hope there is an institution or company that supports people in this kind of situation and I am willing to work for them.

— Frustrated Daughter

Dear Frustrated Daughter,

I completely understand where you are coming from but you also have to understand where companies and personnel managers are coming from as well. Before a company hires someone, it not only has to consider the applicant’s qualifications, but it must also think about the needs of other people in the company. Responsibilidad din ng kumapanya yung kapakanan ng mga ibang tao na nagtatrabaho doon (It is the company’s responsibility to look after the people working for it as well). So if the company’s doctors or personnel department feels that there are additional treatments you must go through before hiring you, then you must do it before they will hire you. Otherwise, it may put all the other people in the company at risk.

The best thing for you to do would be to find a way to get the needed additional treatments. In the meantime, perhaps you could look for a job that you can do from home that will not require you to go to an office. I do not know what your qualifications are, but these can include freelance work or even jobs that are based on the Internet like teaching English online and other similar opportunities. And then you should make sure you save money for the necessary treatments so that you can get the job you really want.

As with most job searches, the key to success is perseverance and hard work. If you are rejected 10 times, you have to try 10 more times. If you are rejected 20 times, you have to try another 20 times. Don’t lose hope and keep working at it. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Nanay

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Dear Nanay,

This is not a question but simply to add to the advice you gave last week regarding the mother who wants to get her children to read books.  I suggest to give them books filled with a lot of pictures to get them interested. While it’s true what you said, that it is never too late to read books, the skill and knowledge gained from reading diminish with age, so it’s much better to develop the habit while young.

I should know.  I’m 41 years old now, and since I had an accident more than seven years ago, which left me deaf and disabled, I was forced to retire and now I’m left here at home. To deal with my boredom, I’ve been reading a lot about current events. I’ve since realized the value of reading and that TV programs are so irrelevant.    — Pian

Dear Pian,

Thank you for your suggestion. Picture books with only one or two lines of text per page are especially appropriate for young children who cannot read too well yet.

One of the keys in choosing books is to make sure that they are age-appropriate for the child. This is not always easy. Kailangan yung magulang mismo ang kasama ng bata magbasa (The parent should read with the child). Only if you are the one reading with the child on a regular basis will you be able to tell when a particular book is too easy, too hard or just right. 

Sincerely,

Nanay

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If you have a question, email us at mailto:asknanay@nationalbookstore.com.phor just drop your letter at drop boxes in all National Book Store branches nationwide.