Maybe I Was Wrong About Working for the Government

For the longest time, I kept telling people one thing:

Why?

Because from what I observed, many government employees are overworked and underpaid.

That was my perspective.

And honestly, I still think many public servants deserve better compensation for the work they do.

That's also one of the reasons I never bothered taking the Civil Service Exam.

I told myself that I would never need it because I had no intention of working for the government.

I wanted to build things outside the system.

Then something unexpected happened.

The municipal government hired me to direct and edit the Tubungan Hymn music video.

Life has a funny way of challenging your own beliefs.

As the day approached when the mayor would review the project, I found myself reflecting on the choices I've made.

Was I contradicting myself?

Was I abandoning my principles?

I don't think so.

I think I was changing my strategy.

For years, I believed that if I wanted to reform the government, I should stay outside of it.

Criticize it.

Question it.

Point out its flaws.

But lately I've been asking myself another question.

How do you change a system if you never understand how it works from the inside?

If I spend my whole life throwing stones from outside the walls, maybe I'll never understand what needs to change within them.

Perhaps some changes require distance.

Others require participation.

So no, I'm not swallowing my pride.

I'm changing course.

Not because I've suddenly fallen in love with government.

Not because I've stopped believing that reforms are necessary.

But because I realized there may be another path toward the same goal.

A path with less friction.

A path where I can slowly build trust instead of constantly creating resistance.

I know some people around me probably noticed the contradiction.

They know I've openly criticized government work before.

They know I've criticized low salaries, inefficient systems, weak leadership, and outdated ways of doing things

And now here I am, working on a project for the municipality.

But life isn't always about choosing one side forever.

Sometimes it's about adapting your strategy while staying true to your values.

My values haven't changed.

Only my approach has.

If I truly want to influence the future, then influence itself has to be earned.

Not demanded.

Not assumed.

Earned.

Maybe this project is one small opportunity to do that.

Every responsibility is also a chance to show people how I think.

How I work.

What standards I hold myself to.

How much intention I put into every detail.

Now my work exists in their minds.

The people who watch this project may never know me personally.

But they'll experience something I created.

And maybe they'll become curious about the person behind it.

Maybe they'll remember the quality.

The intention or just the vibe.

Maybe this project won't change the government. But it might change how I understand it. And perhaps that's where meaningful reform begins.

Maybe this isn't me stepping away from my mission.

Maybe it's the first step toward it.