Jaehwa Bernardo

A merchant associate for a financial technology company works from his home in Quezon City on March 18, 2020, amid the enhanced community quarantine for the whole of Luzon. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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Enhanced Community Quarantine against COVID-19

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<p>Lack of sleep, burnout, and the risk of dropping out of school are among the primary challenges faced by working students in the Philippines, according to a new study highlighting this demographic in both the workforce and education sector.</p><p>The study, conducted by Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC) and titled the &quot;State of the Working Student (SWS) Report,&quot; was launched in line with the celebration of National Working Students Day last March 21, presenting the professional and personal realities of working students.</p><p>The report was drawn from survey results answered by working students from all over the Philippines, conducted from February 18 to March 17.</p><p>It found that 56.1 percent of the respondents sleep for only five hours or fewer per night.</p><p>The study warned that such conditions could lead to &quot;severe&quot; consequences, including impaired cognitive function, reduced immune response, depression, and an increased risk of accidents — all of which could affect both academic and job performance.</p><p>The survey also looked into the level of burnout that working students were experiencing, with 58.1 percent saying they feel overwhelmed and 49.7 percent reporting emotional and mental exhaustion.</p><p>Nearly half or 45.2 percent of the respondents, meanwhile, seriously considered quitting school due to work or personal pressures.</p><p>A major factor behind working students&#x27; sleep deprivation, burnout and thoughts of leaving school is the limited time available to juggle all their roles and responsibilities, with 52.9 percent of respondents saying time was the primary &quot;academic barrier.&quot;</p><p>More than 80 percent of surveyed students were employed full-time while pursuing their degrees, with 43.9 percent managing a full academic load alongside a 40-hour workweek. This is well above the commonly recommended international limit of 20 work hours per week for students, the study noted.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/10/31/23/more-young-filipinos-engaging-in-part-time-work-firm"><strong>READ: More young Filipinos engaging in part-time work: firm<br/></strong></a></div><p>Nearly half or 45.2 percent of respondents reported working on-site, meaning commuting takes time away from studying. Additionally, 41.3 percent said they have caregiving responsibilities for family members.</p><p>The study also found 77.4 percent of respondents said they financially supported others, suggesting many working students serve as their family&#x27;s breadwinners or partial providers.</p><p>The most requested intervention by the respondents include financial literacy and aid, closely followed by career placement support and mental health services.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/video/life/08/21/23/working-students-labis-ang-sakripisyo-para-makapagtapos"><strong>BASAHIN: Working students labis ang sakripisyo para makapagtapos ng pag-aaral<br/></strong></a></div><p>The 2026 SWS Report is the inaugural study, with MMDC planning to conduct the survey annually to provide stakeholders, including policymakers, with a clear roadmap for creating a supportive environment for working students.</p><p>&quot;The SWS Report serves as an essential framework for leaders in academia and industry on how we can redesign and improve our systems to better support this unique demographic,&quot; said MMDC executive director Dennis Tablante.</p><p>&quot;By consolidating the experiences of working students, the study establishes a benchmark for educators and employers to align their institutional strategies with the most urgent needs of this often overlooked community,&quot; Tablante added.</p><p>Access the full State of the Working Student Report <a href="https://www.mmdc.mcl.edu.ph/state-of-working-students/"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r9WNGpOR2bc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>Lack of sleep, burnout, and the risk of dropping out of school are among the primary challenges faced by working students in the Philippines, according to a new study highlighting this demographic in both the workforce and education sector.</p>

Lack of sleep, burnout, and the risk of dropping out of school are among the primary challenges faced by working students in the Philippines, according to a new study highlighting this demographic in both the workforce and education sector.

Sleep deprivation, burnout among top struggles of working students — report

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Sleep deprivation, burnout among top struggles of working students — report

ABS-CBN News

Published March 23, 2026 01:43 PM PHT

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