Like any other young people who are aiming to have a stable job despite having no degree, Kervin Dominise never stopped searching for one until he got a permanent work.
Kervin, 21, did not have an easy life growing up in Panaguikan, Dalaguete, Cebu.
“Growing up the son of a fisherman and a housemaid with five other siblings, I learn many things. Most importantly, I learn the value of hard work,” says Kervin.
Kervin’s siblings are Katrina, 25, married; Kristine Joy, 23; Junel, 19, grade 12 level; Maria Althea, 12, grade 6; and Alexsam, 6, grade 1. His sisters Katrina and Kristine Joy have no stable jobs.
At an early age, Kervin saw how his parents Samuel, 50 and Nelisa, 41 strove to provide food on the table. After he graduated from high school at the age of 16, he went to Manila and worked as a helper to his relatives for ten months. Then, he came back to Cebu and for four years he helped his father catch tuna to earn a living.
Then, Kervin’s parents got sick. After 30 years of surviving the rigors of catching fish for a living, Samuel retired as fisherman due to health issues. Nelisa halted being a housemaid for 20 years because she also got sick.
Although Samuel has retired from being a fisherman, he is now into fishnet making. He earns an income of at least Php 3000-Php4000 monthly out from it. But this is not enough to feed the family.
This prompted Kervin to find another job that could help them earn additional income and he ended up a jeepney conductor in Cebu City for four months. He hurdled all the hardships just to meet the family’s needs but still, it was not enough for them.
In December 2016, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) provided a Call Center Skills Training to the qualified SLP participants. The short course took almost two months and ended in January 2017.
Holding on to his dreams and plans for his family, Kervin never had a second thought in joining the training and grabbing this opportunity. The skills training provided by DSWD through the Call Center Training Academy in Cebu City.
“Dili gyud diay babag ang imong educational background as long as naa kay tinguha nga mokat-on ug mokab-ot sa imong pangandoy (Our educational background is not a hindrance if you desire to learn and achieve your dreams),” Kervin said.
After the training, the SLP provided Php 5000 to the participants including Kervin to help them in terms of complying with all the requirements for their employment.
Knowing the high demand for BPO work, Kervin immediately applied to various Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu City. For two months, he applied around six companies and nothing good happened. Kervin became hopeless that time since his allowance from the DSWD SLP could no longer suffice his needs while looking for a job.
He went home to Dalaguete, made fishnets, sold them and earned money. After almost a month after he got enough money to support his job search in the city.
“Nagkugi ug nisalig ra gyud ko nga maka trabaho ko (I worked hard and I believed that I would eventually find the right job),” Kervin said.
After a couple of failures and rejections, the determined Kervin applied again in Qualfon Company. Kervin got hired as a Customer Service Representative. He is now a regular employee for almost 1 year now. He receives Php 15,000.00 monthly income with SSS, Philhealth, Pag-ibig, Health Insurance and other benefits that the company provides for its workers.
“Sigurado, naa ko sa among dapit karon nangisda, o dili ba kaha nag sideline kog pangunduktor kung wala pako naka-apil sa Call Center Skills Training sa Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) sa DSWD (If it had not been for the Call Center Skills Training of the Sustainable Livelihood Program, I would have continued working as a fisherman or a jeepney conductor),” he expressed.
Kervin stands as the bread winner of the family. He never forgets to send part of his salaray to his family in Dalaguete, Cebu especially for his siblings’ educational expenses.
Learning the value of hard work helped Kervin persevered life’s difficulties and challenges. Indeed, his hard work breeds better benefits for his family. ###
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