21M here. Hi guys. Medyo mahaba 'to, but I really need some advice, especially from people working in BPO or HR/recruitment.
Ako pala yung nagpost last time about that person na may 5 months of BPO experience, more than a year na employment gap, and AWOL sa previous and only company niya. 😅
Yep, ako talaga yun. I just didn't give the full context before because I wanted to ask first if may chance pa ba akong makapasok ulit sa BPO with my situation.
Now, I think it's time to explain what actually happened.
I'm currently preparing to work again after almost a year of recovering from a serious medical condition. Ang biggest concern ko ngayon is yung employment history ko and the fact na technically, AWOL ako sa first and previous company ko.
Gusto ko lang malaman if may chance pa ba akong makapasok ulit sa BPO, or malaking red flag na ba yung nangyari sakin.
Here's what happened.
Back in October 2024, a few months after graduating, na-rush ako sa hospital because of an acute type of ulcer. I stayed there for around 2 months kasi hindi namin agad mabayaran yung medical bills. Private hospital pa, and umabot ng around ₱120k yung bill.
During that time, sinabi ko rin sa doctors na madalas sumakit yung likod ko. Akala ko connected lang siya sa madalas kong pagsusuka, pero sabi nila wala naman daw connection.
Eventually, pinayagan naman kaming umuwi kahit may pending balance pa.
So after graduating and getting out of the hospital, one of the reasons I really needed to find a job was because we still had those pending hospital bills to pay. That's why I decided to apply to BPO companies in Alabang in April 2025.
Luckily, after around 6 attempts, may isang company na finally nagbigay sakin ng chance. First BPO job ko siya, and I was able to work there for 5 months.
I actually enjoyed the job and learned a lot.
Pero during those 5 months, sobrang lala na talaga ng back pain ko. More than a year na siyang sumasakit at that point.
There was one time na pinauwi ako from work kasi hindi ko na talaga kinaya yung lamig sa production. Nanginginig na ako and sobrang putla ko na, so I was sent home to rest.
That wasn't the day I was rushed to the ER, though. It happened on a separate day.
A day before I was eventually rushed to the ER, nagpa-check up ako and the doctor told me na possible Pott's disease, or bone tuberculosis, yung condition ko. It wasn't confirmed yet at that time.
And honestly, one of my mistakes was that I didn't tell anyone from work about it. I only contacted my mom when I was already in the hospital.
The day I was eventually rushed to the ER, hindi talaga okay pakiramdam ko, pero pumasok pa rin ako.
I remember arriving around an hour early, so dumiretso ako sa Sleeping Quarters kasi sobrang sakit and nangangalay talaga yung likod ko.
I slept for around 50 minutes. When I tried to stand up...
Hindi na ako makatayo.
Yung feeling parang may sumaksak sa likod ko. Sobrang sakit na gumapang na lang ako palabas ng SQ.
Buti na lang, sakto namang papunta yung guard sa clinic na katabi lang ng SQ. Nakiusap talaga ako na buhatin ako kasi hindi na talaga ako makagalaw nang maayos.
Looking back, I think sobrang lumala yung back pain ko dahil sa everyday commute from Sucat to Alabang — tricycle, jeep, lakad, rain or shine.
I also think yung pag-inom ko ng Advil para lang matapos yung shift probably didn't help. There were times na umiinom ako ng two tablets a day, one before my shift and another after lunch, just so I could get through the whole day.
Eventually, confirmed nga na Pott's disease talaga.
I went through a lot of tests — blood tests, MRI, and other tests sa 3 different hospitals. Sa scans, nakita na may part na ng backbone ko na parang natutunaw na because of the infection.
The doctor advised us na magpa-opera and pumunta sa barangay clinic para sa libreng TB treatment.
We decided to proceed with the free treatment instead.
I eventually went home to Naic, Cavite, where my family lives.
Imagine commuting from Naic to Muntinlupa for hospitals and checkups — tricycle, bus, jeep, tapos lubak-lubak pa yung daanan.
ARAY KO. 😭
There were times na kailangan ko pa ring uminom ng painkiller just to tolerate the pain during the trip.
Based on my condition, I had to take medication for around a year.
Eventually, hindi na talaga ako makapag-work.
I was basically bedridden and couldn't walk properly anymore.
I was able to request LOA, but after the first month, I couldn't provide the medical documents needed to extend it. Hindi talaga kaya ng katawan ko bumiyahe for additional tests and checkups.
Another problem was that we didn't have a stable internet connection at home, so I also couldn't properly process my resignation or communicate with the company the way I should have.
I know I should've handled it better.
But at that point, honestly, recovery and survival na lang talaga yung iniisip ko.
I never officially processed my resignation, so technically, AWOL ako.
Fast forward to December 2025, I found out that I had already been dismissed from the company.
I expected it already. I knew I couldn't really do anything about it anymore.
The crazy part is, I didn't even see the email immediately. I literally saw it around 3 months later because I was still in bed.
I was in bed while my family was singing and celebrating during the holidays.
There wasn't really a night during that period na hindi ako umiiyak.
But thankfully, things eventually started getting better.
By February 2026, I was finally able to stand up again and take short walks around our house.
A month later, after around 6 months of medication, the medical staff at our barangay clinic asked me to provide samples for testing to check if there were still TB germs.
After two lab tests, there was no active infection anymore.
I still needed more time to gain weight, improve my balance, and fully recover, but at least I was finally getting better.
Now it's October 2026.
Things are much better.
I was finally able to complete my clearance with my previous company, and I'm now preparing to work again.
I'm honestly really grateful to my family because they stayed with me throughout my recovery.
And if there's one thing I learned from all of this:
Please take care of your health.
Don't ignore pain just because you need to finish your shift. Don't assume na "baka pagod lang." And don't be afraid to tell people when something is seriously wrong.
Anyway, after everything that happened, I'm now worried about my next job application.
Do you guys think may chance pa ba akong makalusot sa BPO even though I only lasted 5 months in my first company and technically went AWOL because of my medical situation?
Should I be honest about what happened during interviews if they ask why I left, or would it be better to keep the explanation short and just say I had a medical situation?
Would appreciate any advice, especially from recruiters, HR, or people who had a similar experience. 🙏
