How a ₱10K Desktop and a Jeepney Ride Changed My Life

For 17 years, I gave my soul to the BPO industry. Before that, I spent 2 years in other corporate jobs. That’s 19 years of my life locked in a never-ending cycle of clocking in, meeting KPIs, pleasing managers, and trying to survive one crisis after another with coffee and half-baked smiles.

I was the “model employee,” or at least that’s what they told me.

✅ Hit targets.✅ Rarely complained.✅ Survived toxic shifts, absurd workloads, and unreasonable demands.⏰ Showed up on time? Well... mostly. 😂

I played by the book. I followed the rules. And for what? A paycheck that barely felt like a reward for all the time, energy, and sanity I poured into it.

It wasn’t just exhaustion. It was burnout—the kind that seeps into your bones and numbs your spirit. The worst part? I was stuck.

“At least may trabaho ka.”

You’ve probably heard that phrase a million times. I did too.

“Sayang ang tenure.”“Mahirap maghanap ng work ngayon.”“Tiis na lang. Ganyan talaga.”

It’s what we’ve been conditioned to believe. That security comes from staying. That loyalty equals success. That suffering is a rite of passage.

But what if the job that puts food on the table is also the reason you’re dying inside?

A day in a life of a BPO employee

The Quiet Escape Plan

I didn’t just wake up one day and say, “Okay, I quit.” Nah, I’m too practical (and too broke) for that.

Long before I hit my breaking point, I was already plotting my escape.

After graveyard shifts and draining commutes, I’d crawl into bed—but not to sleep. I opened my laptop. I studied. I scoured the internet for answers to questions I didn’t even know how to ask.

No paid courses. No mentorships. No fancy programs.

Just me, my browser, and:

🔎 Google📺 YouTube📚 Reddit threads where freelancers spilled the tea on how they made it online

I didn’t have a clear plan. I didn’t even know what kind of job I wanted. All I knew was this: I wanted out.

So I whispered a promise to myself:“By this time next year, I’ll be working online.”

But life? Life had a different timeline.

The Jeepney Incident That Changed Everything

It was past 3 AM in Alabang. I had just finished another soul-crushing shift and was finally on my way home. The jeepney was half-empty, and I sat quietly, counting the minutes until I could collapse into bed.

Then, three teenage boys climbed in. Something about them felt... off.

Before I could even process what was happening, they lunged at me.

In front of everyone. No one moved.

They tried to grab my bag—my lifeline. My ID, my ATM, my phone. Everything was in there.

I fought back. I held on with everything I had.

The driver? Unbothered. It hit me—he was in on it.

They didn’t get my bag, but they got my phone. I snapped. I jumped out and ran after them. Yes, at 3 AM. In Alabang. Alone. Exhausted. But I ran.

Maybe I could catch them.Maybe I could get my phone back.Maybe... just maybe...

But they were gone. Just like that.

“Wala na tayong magagawa d’yan, Ma’am.”

I ran to the nearest police station, still shaking. Hoping for help. For justice. For something.

But all I got was a shrug.

“Wala na tayong magagawa d’yan, Ma’am.”Case closed. Just like that.

I walked home that night—shaken, exhausted, humiliated. But more than anything, I was done.

Done with that job.Done with the system.Done with pretending to be okay.

That jeepney ride didn’t just steal my phone—it shattered everything I thought I needed to hold on to.

Crying at My Desk for a Week

But guess what?

I still showed up the next day.Because that’s what we’re trained to do, right?Suck it up. Be strong. Keep moving.

But I wasn’t strong anymore.

I sat at my desk, fingers frozen over the keyboard, tears silently falling onto my workstation. No emails. No tasks. Just a shell of a person who couldn’t pretend anymore.

That went on for a week.

The next week? I just didn’t go.No SL. No VL. Just… nothing left to give.

HR sent me a warning: “You’ll receive a memo. You may be suspended.”

For what? Being traumatized?

Wow. What a system.

And that’s when I looked at my husband and said:“I can’t do this anymore.”

Enter: Chopsuey, the ₱10K Game-Changer

While I was still in bed crying, my husband was already on a mission.

We didn’t have much. But we had a dream.

So with ₱10,000 and a whole lot of love, he built me a desktop from scratch.A Frankenstein of secondhand parts and random components.

We called her Chopsuey. 🍲

She wasn’t fancy. But she worked. And more importantly, she was mine.

The moment she powered on, something inside me did too.

That same day, I typed my resignation letter. Irrevocable. Immediate.

My first work station set up

“You Can’t Resign Like That!”

When I handed it in, my supervisor panicked.

“I can’t accept this. If you resign like this, you won’t be eligible for rehire.”

I smiled.

“That’s okay. I’m never coming back.”

And I meant it.

No backup plan. No savings. Just courage. Just faith in myself.

And Then—Magic

Later that same day, I opened my new desktop, applied for an online job... and got hired.

My first premium client. As an Executive Virtual Assistant.

No fancy resume. No virtual work history.Just raw, unfiltered grit.

I cried again that day—but this time, out of pure relief.

I finally saw a glimpse of the life I had been chasing in the dark for months.

Why I’m Telling You This

Because maybe you’re where I was.

➡️ Stuck in a job that’s eating you alive➡️ Scrolling through job posts wondering if you’re good enough➡️ Telling yourself, “I want out, but I don’t know how.”

Let me tell you something honest:

🚫 You don’t need the perfect setup.🚫 You don’t need years of experience.🚫 You don’t need anyone’s permission to change your life.

You just need to start.

Study. Apply. Fail. Learn.Repeat until it clicks.

Bet on yourself.

Even if all you have is a ₱10K desktop and a gut feeling that you deserve better—that’s enough.

What Happened After?

Fast forward to today?

✅ I’ve worked with international clients.✅ I’ve started my own business.✅ I’ve helped other people escape the grind, too.✅ I’m present for my family.✅ I breathe. I rest. I live.

Was it easy? No.Was it worth it? Every second.

And it all started with a ₱10K desktop named Chopsuey—and one terrifying jeepney ride that finally pushed me to change my life.

To Anyone Who Needs to Hear This:

You don’t need to wait for a tragedy to start choosing yourself.

You don’t need a sign from the universe.

You are the sign.

And if no one’s ever told you this before, let me be the first:

You deserve more than just survival. You deserve to thrive.

So go.Learn.Leap.Build your own Chopsuey.And take the ride—just not the kind that robs you, but the one that frees you.

Need help starting? Drop a comment. I got you. 💻✨