Mom Changed Family’s Life Via Working From Home–How She Empowers Others To Do The Same

In a recent conversation at a work event, a fellow mom and I recognized a positive outcome from the pandemic: the normalization of working from home. Before the pandemic, the idea of working from home was unfamiliar. For parents, it meant a tough choice between continuing to work or resigning to stay at home.

Fortunately, the pandemic has shifted this mindset, a change that MK Bertulfo has long advocated. What began as a Facebook group in 2017 evolved into a movement promoting home-based work, involved parenting, and financial freedom.

MK Bertulfo and FHMoms

“Alam ko na ito ang makakapagpabago ng buhay ko,” said MK Bertulfo, CEO and Founder of Filipina Homebased Moms (FHMoms) and GetHired Online, in an interview with Smart Parenting.

In 2020, MK and FHMoms were featured in Smart Parenting for leading the way to home-based work for moms. Since then, MK’s advocacy grew from 180,000 Facebook group members to half a million, partnered with multiple hiring agencies, offered numerous free training sessions for starting an online job, and transformed countless lives of moms.

“Nagtuloy-tuloy lang ako sa pagtuturo sa mga nanay, tapos may mga mommy trainers kami na nagtuturo na din. Nagulat ako kasi nagsilbing inspirasyon yung story ko sa kanila, lalo na pareho yung mga journey namin,” MK on what she has achieved in a few years. 

Coming from her own struggles as the breadwinner of her family and a working mom of a two-year old boy, her journey resonated with many moms. 

“Ako yung breadwinner ng family namin. Because of my mom na namatay sa cancer, nabaon-baon kami sa utang, nawala yung bahay namin, nag-start kami magrenta, talagang nahirapan kami financially that’s why hindi din ako nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral ko. Even nung nag-aaral ako, hindi ko na din nakayanan na makatapos all because every single day nahihirapan ako sa pamasahe, pambaon, halos lahat ng mga gamit namin sa bahay binebenta na namin. Chichirya na lang ulam namin noon, talagang nahirapan kami. Actually hindi ko talaga alam kung paano kami nabuhay noon,” MK shared about her family’s difficult ordeal. 

This was the burden she was carrying while juggling multiple jobs and sidelines, while also struggling to be more present in her young son’s life. 

“Yung mga una kong naging trabaho, naging cashier ako sa isang fast food chain. Nag-call center job ako, dalawang companies ang pinagtatrabahuhan ko kaya sobra sobrang hirap. Aside from that, I’ve been doing businesses na traditional, kung anu-anong binebenta ko sa office namin para talagang kumita. I know maraming moms na kagaya ko na ganun din ang ginagawa nila,” MK recalled her past jobs.

Filipina Home-Based Mom

MK’s transformation began when she discovered home-based online jobs, “Simula nung nagkaroon ako ng opportunity na mag-work from home, talagang ginrab ko siya. Kasi yung hirap ko nun, as a first-time mom sa 2-year old baby boy ko, talagang ginagapang ko na lang kasi breastfeeding siya then night shift ako, madalas naiipit ako sa traffic. Imagine everyday, na-stuck ako sa traffic for a couple of hours. Imbes nasa bahay na lang ako.”

“Nagkaron ako ng e-mail support na trabaho. Nagulat talaga ako, dumoble yung sinasahod ko. Sabi ko, may ganito pala, halos patayin ko yung sarili ko noon kaka-trabaho,” MK shared. 

“Nung nagkaroon ako ng chance na mas maintindihan ko yung freelancing, dun ko na binuo yung FHMoms. Nag-start ako mag-teach sa mga moms via Facebook live lang, tapos nagulat ako sobrang daming tao na sumasali.”-MK

Aside from the salary, MK finally had more time for her son. She didn’t have to spend countless hours commuting in traffic. This realization led her to share the option of working from home with other moms. “Nung nagkaroon ako ng chance na mas maintindihan ko yung freelancing, dun ko na binuo yung FHMoms. Nag-start ako mag-teach sa mga moms via Facebook live lang, tapos nagulat ako sobrang daming tao na sumasali.”

As she began teaching other moms, she also upskilled herself, taking on other home-based jobs like virtual assistant and social media marketing, “Basically, nagself-study ako. Sinikap ko talaga.”

MK’s dedication and desire to change the course of her family’s life fueled her commitment to her home-based career. With nostalgia, she reflects, “Hindi ako nagkamali, dito na kami nakapagpakasal ng asawa ko. We started traveling, pati yung dream house namin, yung one hectare namin na farm, lahat ng meron kami because of online jobs.”

She highlights one of the most significant benefits of home-based work, “Sobrang grateful ako sa freelancing community sa opportunity na makapagtrabaho sa bahay kasi naaalagaan ko yung anak ko. Now, I have a second baby who is 2 months old, breastfeeding pa din kami. And sobrang hands on naming lahat, hindi lang ako, even my husband, sa pag-aalaga sa kanya, habang tuloy tuloy pa din yung trabaho.”

Paying it Forward

With her journey as her foundation, MK wanted to show other moms and parents that there is another option other than leaving home for work. 

She proudly shares stories of other moms who transitioned to home-based work, “Ang daming natulungan. Ang daming OFW na naka-balik na, mga PWD na moms namin, mas na-boost yung confidence nila. Even our stay-at-home moms. Marami rin na mga young moms, single moms. Nahihirapan talaga sila i-juggle lahat, pero dahil nagkameron sila ng idea on how they could start working from home, mas naging confident sila sa sarili nila. At the same time, mas nakatulong pa sila sa family nila as well as friends para magkaron din ng online job.”

“Nagkaroon kami ng culture sa community to give back. Palagi ko rin sila nire-remind na kung paano kayo tinulungan ng community, dapat ganun niyo rin ibalik yung mga help na na-receive niyo in the past.”-MK

She continued, “Yung iba sa kanila nakapagpakasal na, nagkabahay, nagka-kotse, nagka-savings, may mga kanya kanya ng business. Yung iba naman, nakakatuwa, meron na din silang sarili nilang agency. Ibig sabihin, sila naman yung nagha-hire ng ibang tao. Tinutulungan ko din sila na i-build yung agency nila para nga naman mas madami kaming matulungan na magkameron ng trabaho.” The cycle of paying it forward creates a positive ripple effect in the community. 

“Nagkaroon kami ng culture sa community to give back. Palagi ko rin sila nire-remind na kung paano kayo tinulungan ng community, dapat ganun niyo rin ibalik yung mga help na na-receive niyo in the past,” MK added. 

MK also has a message for moms who feel lost and are currently struggling, “Palagi kong sinasabi sa mga nanay na kahit ano pa yung pinagdadaaanan nila, sa pamilya, sa trabaho, alam ko na kakayanin nila. At ang laking tulong na may support group like FHMoms na pwede nilang lapitan, pagtanungan kung kinakailangan. Hanapin niyo yung support system na pwedeng makatulong sa inyo para magtuloy-tuloy, sa buhay, at sa trabaho.”

FHMoms

Filipina Homebased Moms is not just a Facebook group; it’s a hub of information, education, and support for moms who want to work while caring for their families. FHMoms regularly hosts Facebook Live webinars on topics like Introduction to Freelancing, Soft Skills Training, and Motivational Panel Discussions with members who landed their first online job. The group also offers free learning materials such as video tutorials and templates for resumes, cover letters, and job contracts. 

Recently, FHMoms celebrated Mother’s Day at four different venues: Vistamall Bulacan, BriaHomes Calamba, Gateway 1, and Farmers Plaza. The event showcased the resilience and camaraderie of home-based moms, featuring talks, workshops, fun games, and exciting raffle prizes for the whole family. Mompreneurs also had a bazaar to display their home-based products and services. FHMoms is committed to supporting home-based moms, especially those actively seeking employment.

On July 26, 2024, GetHired Online will host its first GetHired Job Fair in SM Megamall. For more details about the GetHired Job Fair, visit this link. 

CIMB Pinoy Mavericks Awards 2024

MK Bertulfo is a nominee for the inaugural CIMB Pinoy Mavericks Awards 2024. Along with nine other nominees, she aims to share inspiring stories and lessons from her journey. The other nominees are Steve Dailisan, Myke Celis, Phoebe Fructuoso, Marlon Fuentes, Erline Maniquis, Jkhriez Pastrana, April Perreras, Jericho Ramota and Jerico Silvers. Follow CIMB Philippines for more information. 

Read here to know how much work-at-home moms are earning per hour in their online jobs.