No summer break for working students

MANILA, Philippines - For most students, summer vacation provides an opportunity to try new things, explore new places and forget the pressures of school work.

But it wasn’t the case for cash-strapped students who had no choice but to spend the three-month break taking jobs– some of them unusual– to support their studies.

One such student is Deniece (not her real name), a 19-year-old student who works as a part-time model and a veteran of local beauty pageants.  

Part of her job is to walk and pose in skimpy outfit inside a cockpit filled with a noisy, predominantly male crowd.

“The product I used to endorse was related to cockfighting so they would invite me to some cockpit. We would give t-shirts to the audience. It didn’t take long but the pay was handsome,” Deniece said in Filipino.

“They would pay me P1,500 to P2,000 per day. I would be asked to do the job three times a week,” she added.

Thanks to her part-time job, Deniece was able to earn enough money to pursue her college education which was disrupted last year because of financial constraints.

“I stopped when I was in second year because my parents could no longer shoulder the enrollment fees. Three of us were already studying that time,” she said.

“I really saved money for my tuition. But maybe my parents will just shoulder my allowance.”

However, Deniece’s job, though financially rewarding, does not come without a price.

At her young age, Deniece already knows how it was like to be viewed as a mere object of pleasure by ill-mannered men who are capable of doing lewd acts and wealthy patrons who thought her dignity was for sale. While in need of money, Deniece ignored the offers which she said were scary rather than tempting.

“There are limits and you are the one who will set it. There are indecent proposals. Some rich people think they can ask you out just because you are working as a model,” Deniece said.

“I did not inform my parents (about the unpleasant experiences) because they might get angry and they might ask me to stop (my modeling). This is my only way to support my studies.”

Constructing their future

If a teacher asks 20-year-old Percival Ramos and his 18-year-old cousin Randel to compose an essay about the perennial topic “what I did last summer,” they would probably write about painting, carrying construction materials and mixing cement.

Percival, an incoming second year education student, said he receives a daily wage of P150 as a helper and a laborer for a construction project.

“My colleagues call me up whenever there are opportunities to work like this,” he said.

“I work in a construction site to save money so that when I go to Manila to study, I can provide for my daily allowance.” 

Luckily, Percival was granted a full scholarship and an opportunity to earn extra.

“My pastor in Caloocan allowed me to work while schooling. I will be a caretaker of their house once I get there,” he said, adding that he is also helping with his family’s daily expenses.

Percival is optimistic that he will eventually reap the rewards of his efforts.

 â€œI learned to value everything especially now that I am doing construction work, something that is not usually experienced by my peers. I work under the sun and it’s not easy to earn money for schooling,” he said.

Making both ends meet

Construction work is taxing for a teenager and more so for Randel, who is suffering from pneumonia, which requires a six-month medication. 

Randel, who earns P150 a day, admitted that he is having a hard time making both ends meet because of his medical expenses.

“It was my personal decision (to work as construction worker). I have to earn money for my tuition and I need to support my medication,” he said.

“If you are sick and you just rely on others and if it is hard to get help from your barangay, you will die.”

Randel, however, does not seem to mind the pressures as he has learned about the value of hardwork even before he entered college. When he was in third year high school, he worked as a dishwasher in a water station.

“Every Saturday and Sunday that was my sideline. During summer vacation, I am a regular employee,’ he said.

Despite its pressures and demands, being a working student gives Randel a sense of pride and motivation.

“You have your own money. You can say that the money you spend came from your own pocket and you do not need to as help from your parents,” he said.

“You need to continue your studies so you can get a degree, so that you can become the one who gives orders, not the one taking orders.” 

Not necessarily bad

Nicolo Velasco, an economics professor at Bulacan State University, said there is always a demand for the services of working students.

“The reason is economics- scarcity of funds, scarcity of financial resources. Working and studying at the same time can augment the income or the resources for matriculation or other needs,” Velasco said.

“There is demand for their services, for part-time student labor, so there will always be a supply especially (because) it addresses the crucial needs of some students,” he added.

The yearning for adventure, Velasco said, is also a factor that drives students to take part-time jobs.

“If you look at them, they are very enthusiastic. I think the adventurous spirit of the youth plays a part. They will try something that they think will serve as a value-adding experience in terms of character, discipline and personality,” the economist said.

While the phenomenon of working students is widely seen as a reflection of the lack of access to affordable education, Velasco views it in an optimistic way.

“If there is an opportunity to earn while studying, it will unburden the parents and you will be able to share it (earnings) with your other siblings,” he said.

“I think it’s a positive thing. I don’t look at it as a problem.”