Nope, it wasn’t meant to be an ordinary friday afternoon on that fateful day. Receiving a phone call late in the afternoon was just a routine for me. It was from HR, telling me of an important meeting on February 23. I asked for the agenda of the meeting, no other info was given. Just wait na lang daw for the details to be given, parang “time on target” ng PNP-SAF of Mamasapano incident lang ang arrive. Over the weekend, can’t help but think of all the possibilities, “baka may reorg lang”, territory alignment changes baga, but deep in my mind sabi ko ito na.
Rewind ng konti mga six months ago, we were hearing some murmurs already in the office about an impending retrenchment about to happen. Nasimulan na sa kabilang division, sabi ko sa sarili ko baka kami na ang next. All the signs were there already. But i just kept it to myself, business as usual pa din. After all, I said to myself, my performance pa rin will speak on my behalf and keep my tenure secured. Kota pa rin ng YTD Dec, 101% good job!
Back to the future, signing my notice letter of redundancy was a bitter sweet moment. Our Business Unit Head made his speech, next was our HR Director. Both were telling us about the reasons for the said move of the company. Wala kami sa core directive goals ng company. Inspite of our outstanding performance, notice of redundancy pa rin ang diretso namin. Well, that’s how the cookie crumbles in this business. We were in a volatile, unambiguous, and complicated industry. Wish I could stay for at least three more years para saktong ten years service. It was a bitter moment, kasi I will surely miss the benefits of being in the pharma industry. Libre car and gas, medical reimbursements, free hospitalization etc.. I will miss the quarterly conferences, staying in a five-star hotel, ahh the benefits of being a medical rep.
It was a sweet moment for me, because aside from getting my severance package tax-free, I will be free from the everyday burden and stress of being in this industry. The past seven years went by so quick. It was full of victory and defeat. Three years ago, I was in Phuket to receive my Asia-Pacific Award. My wife was there too to witness perhaps the highest award that I have achieved in my years of being a Medrep. Three years hence, eto redundated na ako.
As I’ve said earlier, it was only a matter of time. Months before I have planned some contingency measure just in case this situation arrived. I have began to reinvent myself in anticipation of this event. I’m just forty-three years old, I can still contribute to our country’s workforce. But wait, details of that will be in my next blog na lang, hasta lavista for now.
askrodel 