Anna Marie Lukban

Work is life! Teleserye characters who hustled hard with multiple jobs

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746065033272Work-is-life!-Teleserye-characters-who-hustled-hard-with-multiple-jobs-.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Many Pinoys know what it means to juggle multiple sources of income just to make ends meet or provide for their loved ones. And over the years, Kapamilya teleseryes have introduced us to characters who mirror this reality. They are the modern-day &#x27;raketeros&#x27; and &#x27;raketeras&#x27; who take on every possible gig just to survive. Not to romanticize their struggles—because in a better world, no one should have to stretch themselves this thin—but to acknowledge how relatable their stories are for many viewers. </p><p>In celebration of Labor Day, we’re looking back on the stories of fictional hustlers who wore many hats and worked double time for their dreams, one &#x27;raket&#x27; at a time. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Bingo Mariano,</strong> <em>Can’t Buy Me Love</em></div><p>First on our list is Bingo, played by Donny Pangilinan in <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/cantbuymelove/articles-news/team-binondos-playful-bonding-moments-behind-the-scenes-of-cant-buy-me-love-21219"><strong><u>&quot;Can’t Buy Me Love,&quot;</u></strong></a> a street-smart raketero raised by love and survival. Growing up with his adoptive family in Binondo, he learned early on how to maximize opportunities. He’d juggle any job, as long as it’s legal, just to put food on the table. When his beloved Lola Nene (Nova Villa) needed money for a critical eye operation, Bingo kicked his grind into overdrive. He zipped around the city on his trusty &#x27;kuliglig&#x27; as a delivery boy, joined livestreams to sell anything he could, and always kept an eye out for his next &#x27;diskarte.&#x27; At one point, he even joined a male pageant.</p><div> </div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3XbdWHFXrX4" title="Bingo tries live selling | Can&#x27;t Buy Me Love (w/ English Subs)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TWtCrkx4REY" title="Bingo joins Mr. Binondo | Can&#x27;t Buy Me Love (w/ English Subs)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><div><strong>Ali Fajardo, </strong><em>2 Good 2 Be True</em></div><p>Showing us that the hard work of every &#x27;raketero&#x27; and &#x27;raketera&#x27; is often fueled by their love for family, Ali (Kathryn Bernardo) never turned her back on her responsibilities as a dependable daughter and sister, even though she also had big dreams of her own. </p><p>In <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2025/3/5/throwback-kathryn-bernardo-as-ali-in-2-good-2-be-true-2022-2127"><strong><u>&quot;2 Good 2 Be True,&quot;</u></strong></a> she juggled a full-time job as a hospital nurse, often volunteering for double shifts, while also selling items from her mom&#x27;s online boutique to co-workers during breaks. At first, she balanced all these with working as private nurse for Don Hugo (Ronaldo Valdez), whom she fondly called Lolo Sir, a wealthy man suffering from Alzheimer&#x27;s disease. She did all these to help her mom Margie (Gelli de Belen), an online seller, support her sister Pat (Bianca de Vera)&#x27;s schooling, even if it meant putting her dream of going to medical school on hold. Sleep was a luxury she often gave up, but her perseverance paid off in the end as Ali finally became a doctor. </p><div> </div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MjZlU0NfAAg" title="[ENG SUBS] Full Episode 4 | 2 Good 2 Be True | Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7wk3fvU15TA" title="[ENG SUBS] Full Episode 6 | 2 Good 2 Be True | Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><div><strong>Leah Olivar and Clark Medina,</strong> <em>On The Wings of Love</em></div><p>Hustle culture isn’t just a local thing; it’s a reality for many Filipinos working abroad, too. That’s exactly what we saw through Leah (Nadine Lustre) in &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2024/11/26/throwback-jadine-in-their-first-drama-series-on-the-wings-of-love-1058"><strong><u>On The Wings of Love.&quot;</u></strong></a> As an OFW in the U.S., she had to endure the emotional toll of being away from her family, on top of the physical exhaustion of taking on multiple jobs. Day and night blurred into one as she powered through any job she could find, from cleaning houses and establishments, to serving in restaurants, working as a caregiver, and even donning a mascot costume just to earn a little more.</p><div> </div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xdfrSyQGWyo" title="Full Episode 4 | On The Wings Of Love" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><p>Clark (James Reid), who later became Leah&#x27;s husband in the series, also embodied the same challenges that so many OFWs live through daily, pushing through his shifts as a hotel attendant, waiter, and cleaner—basically, whatever &#x27;raket&#x27; that came his way. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Moises Malonzo, </strong><em>Pamilya Sagrado</em></div><p>Moises (Kyle Echarri) from <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/pamilyasagrado"><strong><u>&quot;Pamilya Sagrado&quot;</u></strong></a> had big dreams of becoming an architect. But for a student whose family survives solely through fishing, that dream didn&#x27;y come easy. To fund his college education and help out at home, Moises became a working student as a part-time waiter while also picking up extra shifts at their school canteen.</p><div> </div><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABN2RPSfoXOaCcOV"></script></div><div> </div><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABN3Ihk9z6G6il8w"></script></div><div> </div><p>Here&#x27;s to the real heroes —those who take on every raket they can, and hustle hard just to give their loved ones a better life. This Labor Day, we salute your strength, grit, and endless &#x27;diskarte.&#x27;</p>

<p>This Labor Day, we’re shining the spotlight on teleserye characters who hustled hard just like the real-life raketeros and raketeras we salute every day.</p>

This Labor Day, we’re shining the spotlight on teleserye characters who hustled hard just like the real-life raketeros and raketeras we salute every day.