As a college student commuting through the University Belt in the early 2000s, I would take the jeepney home with a couple of friends from the South. One funny story I’ll never forget happened during one of those rides.
A passenger reached out and said, “Ma, bayad po.”
The jeepney driver quickly asked, “Sa’n galing?”
The passenger answered, “Galing Trabajo.”
When it was our turn to pay the fare, my friend Mike jokingly said,
“Ma, bayad po. Tatlong estudyante. Galing eskwela.”
We burst into childish laughter afterward.
For those unfamiliar, Trabajo is a place in Manila, and coincidentally, it sounds just like the Tagalog word trabaho, derived from the Spanish trabajo, meaning work.
Years after graduation and obtaining my professional license to practice architecture, I found myself drawn more to the word hanapbuhay whenever I reflected on work. It felt more meaningful—closer to the heart.
As an aspiring writer back in high school, I’ve always been confident in my vocabulary, both in English and Tagalog. But the word trabaho began to sound more like a necessary evil—something we all endure just to make ends meet. I remember a former employer once telling me,
“Work is work. It’s a necessary evil.”
But when I started my own firm in 2016, I heard something different.
When construction workers would approach us to apply, they often said they were looking for hanapbuhay.
“Hanap” means "to search," and “buhay” means "life" or "living."
Together, hanapbuhay captures the deeper meaning of why we work—not just to earn money, but to sustain life.
I appreciated this word even more when I started a family. Whenever I struggled at work, I would get subtle reminders of why I do what I do. Cliché as it may sound, I often recall that coffee brand’s ad:
“Para kanino ka bumabangon?”
Today, we honor the men and women from all walks of life who rise every day to show up at work or run their businesses to earn their keep. We honor those whose labor moves the economy forward. We salute every Filipino who shows grit and perseverance—all for the love of their families and to ensure there’s food on the table.