REFLECTIONS SOUL

WHAT SPELLS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HIRELING AND A commendable worker is genuine concern for the work and the people it serves. We Filipinos have a word for it: malasakit. It is that "extra something" that is recognized and appreciated by grateful non-filipinos who have ever been looked after by Filipino nurses or doctors abroad, who have counted on the cheerful cooperation of Filipino construction workers, domestic helpers, secretaries, seamen, accountants and various professionals all over the world. Workers with malasakit are loved and cherished by co-workers and employers, because they are living proofs that the world of work runs on love of work more than on love of money.

Our malasakit stems from our concept of " bayanihan", the spirit of communal unity. From its original meaning-when neighbors would help a family move their house to a different location by carrying the whole house on their shoulders-- bayanihan has come to be applied to work that calls for collaboration without compensation. Bayanihan is possible because people see one another as fellow humans, and take work as a shared responsibility among humans who care for other humans. It is this spirit of sharing self with others (without expectation of remuneration) that is evident in Filipino workers' malasakit. And in a world where materialism is increasingly becoming prevalent, where job applicants' first concern is "What's in it for me?", employers find it heartening to see that there are still people who would not mind putting in 15 minutes more of work without charging overtime pay.

A hireling would simply punch in at 9 a.m. and punch out at 5 p.m.; a worker with malasakit is ruled by compassion, not by the clock and the cash slip.