‘Laging Pagod’: The Burnout Culture Among Working-Class Filipinos

“Laging pagod.”

That’s the modern Filipino greeting.

Not “Kamusta?” Not “Kain na tayo.”

Just straight-up “Pagod ako.”

And honestly?

We get it.

We live in a country where the cost of living keeps going up but wages stay exactly where they were ten years ago, where rest feels like a luxury, not a right.

Where scrolling online just makes you feel worse, because everyone else seems to be living their best life while you're still figuring out how to stretch your 500-peso budget for the week.

Let’s talk about it.

1. The Hustle Trap

We’ve romanticized overwork.

“Kapag pagod ka, ibig sabihin productive ka.”

“Tiis ganda. Tiis lahat.”

“Ganyan talaga, basta may kinikita ka.”

This toxic mindset is so ingrained in us that we feel guilty for resting.

Rest?

That’s for the mayaman.

For us, it's bawal magkasakit, bawal mapagod, bawal umangal.

Laban lang nang laban, kahit wala ka nang nilalaban.

We’ve turned suffering into a badge of honor — like the more you sacrifice, the more valid your existence becomes.

2. The Reality Behind Burnout

Here’s what’s real:

• Minimum wage in NCR (2024): 

  ₱610/day. That's ₱15,860/month (if you're lucky to have 26 full workdays).

  
  

• Average cost of living for a family of 5: 

  ₱20,000–₱30,000/month.

  
  

• Commuting time: 

  2–4 hours/day.

  
  

• Mental health access:

  Scarce and expensive.

  
  

So you wake up at 5 a.m., commute for 2 hours, work an underpaid job for 9, then sit in traffic for another 2. You get home at 9 p.m., exhausted — not just physically, but emotionally and mentally.

And when you open social media, you’re told to “just work harder” or “start a side hustle.”

As if you’re not already maxed out.

3.What Can We Actually Do?

Let’s be real: this isn’t just a self-help problem.

It’s a systemic one. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless.

Here’s what we can do:

• Reclaim rest. 

  Even if it’s 10 minutes. Rest is not laziness. Rest is resistance.

  
  

• Stop glorifying toxic productivity. 

  You don’t have to monetize every hobby. You don’t need to be “on the grind” 24/7.

  
  

• Talk about it. 

  Burnout thrives in silence. Call it out — in your barkada group chats, sa inuman, at work.

  
  

• Demand better. 

  Push for mental health support, fair wages, labor rights. Hindi ito reklamo — karapatan mo ’to.

  
  

• Unfollow the bullshit. 

  That influencer showing off a Bali trip every month?

  
  

  Not your reality.

  Curate your feed.

  Find voices that reflect you, not shame you.

4. But Make It Real

• You're not tired because you're weak. You're tired because you're carrying too much.

• Productivity does not define your worth.

• Rest is not a reward. It’s your right.

• Social media is a highlight reel, not real life.

• You don’t need to “catch up” to anyone.

• Burnout isn’t personal failure — it’s a collective symptom of a broken system.

5. What We Need to Remember

The real flex?

Taking care of yourself in a world that tells you to break yourself just to survive.

You’re allowed to slow down.

You’re allowed to say “ayoko na” — and mean it.

You’re allowed to want more than just survival.

And you’re not alone.

We’re all tired.

But together, we can start to wake up — and push back.

Kasi seryoso na masyado

Filipino version of rest:

"Magpapahinga ako, promise."

→ Ends up washing dishes, doing laundry, and checking emails.

"Soft life na ako starting today." 

→ Still commuting in MRT with one slipper.

“Mental health break muna ako.”

→ Gets asked, “OA ka naman. Drama mo.”