“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” Every one of us has been asked that age-old question since we could talk. As children, our goals were more imaginative — to be a fairy, to be a pirate, or to be a secret agent spy fighting the bad guys. However, as we grew older and experience life’s pressure, it forces us to change our dreams to more realistic job opportunities.

There is a hero in every government employee that works 9 to 5. We feature four young Filipinas who have taken the risk to work in different government agencies to achieve their goal of serving the Filipino people.

Carla Agana, 21

A graduate of the University of the Philippines – Diliman (UPD) majoring in BA Speech Communication, Carla never imagined working in the government and wanted a job in the media industry. But when she started working in the Department of Health (DOH) last year as a Health Program Researcher, she found a purpose in her career – to give back to society.

She coordinates with researchers outside of DOH to conduct various public health studies. She is the designated Gender and Development focal person of the agency and does secretarial duties for the Regional Health and Safety Committee as well as the Vaccination Operations Center.

Carla fully believes in the power of being a young person in an industry full of experienced people. Her mastery of IT technologies helps her accomplish tasks.. “By being able to properly use simple tools such as Google and Microsoft products, I can efficiently accomplish more tasks in less time,” she added.

Despite working in the daunting world of politics with strict rules and bureautic processes to follow, Carla continues to work hard as she believes that it can be a platform for her to relay her generation’s voice to a bigger audience.

“The most rewarding thing that comes when working in the government is witnessing your projects come to life and, hopefully, attain what it aims to achieve for the people. Now, more than ever, is the time where it is crucial that members of the youth sector are working inside the government to somehow forward the views that our generation holds.”

Healy Reyes, 21

Healy is a graduate of the University of the East. Her major in International Studies has prepared her for a career in government. “It also introduced me to the world of politics and the social-historical impact of states in today’s global phenomena,” she added. She now works in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) under the Honorary Consuls and Service Attachés Division of the Human Resources Management Office.

Under the DFA, Healy drafts communications for management and operations of the Philippine honorary consular officers. Although working with older colleagues can be intimidating for a newbie like Healy, it pushes her to learn and grow from the teachings of her bosses.

“Older colleagues have a greater understanding of the work we do. Since my job sometimes comes with case-to-case scenarios, I am able to seek guidance from people who have been in the field for decades. They are able to shed light on my queries, not only in administrative matters but about the life in the service as well.”

The generation gap has a positive impact on young people who are willing to learn from the setbacks of those who are more experienced, while those older can gather fresh perspectives from the youth. Healy added that everyone is given an opportunity to lead regardless of their age and rank. This she recalls, produces a better output and a more cordial work relationship.

Overall, Healy remarks that the youth should think about what they can contribute in order to transform our society into a better one. There is fulfillment in being a part of various projects that are for the sustainable development of our country.

“Despite the prevailing pandemic situation in the country, the essence of public service cannot be postponed…Ensuring an efficient and people-centered service is of paramount importance when it comes to government work. Getting involved in such a cause is ultimately rewarding.”

Engr. Andrea Canlas, 22

Engr. Andrea has always had her eyes set on working with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) after graduating from UPD with a major in Civil Engineering. Her motivation to work in the agency stemmed from her thesis in college which was about water resources and disaster risk management.

Prior to working in PAGASA, Andrea was in the construction industry which was more fast-paced with not much room for mentorship. As a young graduate who valued learning more things aside from adaptability, she wanted to focus more on research work and to be able to absorb knowledge from her brilliant colleagues.

Her work as a Senior Research Analyst aims to improve the disaster risk management of farmers by making PAGASA services more accessible to them.

When Andrea joined the agency, she was intimidated by the technical knowledge of everybody. She saw the dedication of these scientists to their job.They were happy despite stressful conditions.

Surprisingly, there is no generationl gap when it comes to working with her fellow researchers with some having at least 30 years of experience already.

“I have a senior who is more updated than me with the latest Tiktok trends. As I’ve mentioned, they are very cool. The older ones just like to label themselves “oldies”, and that’s it. Sometimes, the oldies mix our names up, and they’ll just jokingly say, “Pasensya na, tumatanda na kasi.”

The advice she can give to those who are apprehensive about taking a job in the government is to find people who can mentor them which is what she currently enjoys most in her workplace.

“There are people in the government who take their job seriously, find them. If you stick to your ideals, the system should not corrupt you. Being idealistic is corny but I believe it will save us. I know we are all tired in this country, but who will put on the work if we all give up?”

Patricia Oliva, 23

Patricia always dreamed of wearing the pristine white coat of a doctor or a nurse because of her dream to cure the sick. With this goal, she decided to study BS Chemistry at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) since she was also interested in the world of science. She currently works as a Chemist under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) specifically, under the Pasig River Coordinating and Management Office, a project of the Environmental Management Bureau. Her job includes analyzing various chemicals and wastewater samples for the restoration and development of Pasig River.

Patricia works with both older and younger people. As with other workplaces, there are pros and cons when it comes to working with the older generation. Nevertheless, how you connect with your fellow colleagues can set you apart from the rest.

“In terms of the working atmosphere, it is really an effort to deal with people with different personalities especially with the wide range of generation that you may encounter. I cannot please every person that surrounds me, so it is better to focus on my responsibilities at work, do my best and share critical insights that I can contribute to the organization,” she added.

Having a job in the government is not easy but what motivates Patricia is that she is working for the benefit of her personal advocacy. She has always been a lover of nature and her job allows her to protect the environment in the best way she knows how.

“I believe that when your work is related to something you are passionate about, that is what keeps you motivated. If you believe it will work out, you will see opportunities. To solve a problem you have to recognize your share of responsibility. Whatever the problem is, be part of the solution.”

Carla Agana, Healy Reyes, Engr. Andrea Canlas and Patricia Oliva are inspiring Filipinas who have taken on the road less traveled but a road that is necessary. With a global pandemic and other social issues still on the rise, it is only right for the youth to take a stand and commence the change they want to see for their future. They may not know how to fly around in capes or pick up a whole building, but they can help communities in their seemingly simple but honorable work that contributes to a more significant goal for the nation