TRABAHO MO, SAGOT KO

We were celebrating the consummation of a warehouse project when, suddenly, a dire consequence, entered our minds. A number of our workers were there, too, celebrating with us. But thoughts of how they will be when they go home that day also came into realisation. They will be jobless from then on. How they will cope up with the situation was difficult even just to imagine. 

And so on August 3, 2025, we decided to go the extra mile for our workers. We have friends and client-investors who were just nearby doing their construction projects also. On that day, we were happy that we were able to refer for work 12 workers in five (5) construction sites. 

Little did we know that this simple act of goodness will spread like wild fire in North Caloocan. The next day, seven (7) workers came to us for help, all of them thinking that we can connect them to other projects as well. And luckily, we were able to do so. 

This started the project, "TRABAHO MO, SAGOT KO". We launched this project in the first week of September last year during which we were able to give jobs to forty-three (43) construction workers!

In the next few days, we encountered challenges because not all of those who came to us were construction workers. A good number did not have construction experience. Some can do jobs in restaurants, and quite a few were college graduates. And thus, we had to dig deeper for connections and people that we know. We had to call different companies to find out if they had employment vacancies. 

"TRABAHO MO, SAGOT KO" is a project we intend to continue while we have the strength to do so. This is an initiative of RC Metro North Caloocan President Vickie Estella, whose dedication to the welfare and livelihood of people was tested in the past years, especially during the pandemic. Her business of food trucks and medium-sized warehouses during the pandemic helped many businesses stay afloat even while observing strict lockdown and quarantine protocols. Food trucks enabled entrepreneurs to transfer from one place to another, staying longer where quarantine restrictions were not too rigid or relaxed. For their part, the mini-warehouses enabled online businesses to open up to the market, and in the meantime, stay away from brick-and-mortar stores for safety. 

Other members of the club came in for support, most notably PE Rey Almacha, CP Doms Panti, PP Roda Panti, IPP Rod Alfanta, Dir. Yvonne Tejero, and PP Greg Austria.. Some of us provided clues for contacts like Rtn. Atty. Leylann Manuel, Henry Manuel, Arch. Angel Gianan, Aicel Machale, and Gilbert Mchale. Some members even hired a number of our referrals who met our criteria. 

While people are still coming to us, we commit to continue this project in the years to come. 

To date, RC Metro North Caloocan has already successfully referred ninety-two (92) workers in different industries. Many of them were in dire need of a job. One was a single parent who was able to get an office job. Another, named Ivan with 5 kids and who just lost his job, was hired as a family driver. A new graduate whose father was paralyzed from the waist down landed a job as a merchandiser. North Caloocan is one of the poorest areas in Metro Manila.

Unfortunately, jobs are very scarce, and this makes the lives of most of the residents very difficult. The club is happy to alleviate their predicament in the best way it can. 

Written by: GP Vickie Estella, Rotary Club of Metro North Caloocan