The Secret Behind the Triumph: The Story of A Successful Professional IT Programmer

Author’s Name

Marie Amanda C. Pernito

Jessa Marie S. Belgera
Niko J. Herbias
Charlhan Dave Opcionar
Hiyacenth Mea B. Arrabis
Aljhale Khyle G. Ynot
Earl Audrey A. Abay

Abstract

This narrative study is all about the success story of a professional IT programmer from

his initiation to the peak of his career. The researchers use a qualitative research approach. In

conducting the study, the researchers use video call as an instrument to interview the participant,

since the participant in this study is working in the United Kingdom. This study aims to acquire

an in-depth understanding on the struggles and experiences of an IT programmer back when he

was still studying to the time he started working. Findings revealed that it takes a great challenge

for a person to become a successful IT programmer. The participant pursued the course as a

challenge for him to take, and peer programming helped the participant to cope up with the

difficulties of the course. The time slot of the class and the teacher’s methods affected his learning

experience. However, the participant’s passion for programming made him successful in the field.

Keywords: IT, programmer, programming, coding, narrative research, success, story,

professional, secret, BSIT, Cebu, UK
 Introduction

Bachelor of Science in Information and Technology is a four-year course which prepares

students to become IT professionals who can do the installation, operation, development,

maintenance, and administration of computer applications (FindUniversity, 2019). Information

Technology, abbreviated as "IT," is the usage of computers and other physical devices that creates,

processes, stores, secures, and exchanges all forms of electronic data (Rouse, 2019). Information

Technologists are generated by this field of work to help individuals with technological problems.

This profession is distinctive since there are a lot of IT careers to choose from, such as Web

Developer, Web Designer, Application Manager, and the likes. Technology is continuously

growing now and then, so the demand for BSIT or other computer-related course graduates is

increasing as well (J.L., n.d.).

According to Chand (2019), the data generated by the Evans Data Corporation last 2018,

it indicated that the total number of developers in the world is 23 million and is continuing to grow

to reach 27.7 million by 2023. However, based on the data of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

(2019), the employment rate for computer programmers would eventually decrease by 7% from

2018 to 2028. Since this job can be worked on anywhere in the globe, companies often hire

programmers in countries with lower wages. Dishman (2016) said that even though computer

programming job rates are declining, coding seems to become the most in-demand skill over the

industries. In contrast, extensive secondary research made by The Global Developer Population

and Demographic Study, which was shown by Evans Data Corporation (2018), claimed that as

2019 approached, 23 million developers were there and was said to reach 27.7 million in the next

five years. According to an article in CollegeGrad LLC (2020), the median annual wage for

computer programmers in the world is $84,280.

 Based on the study of the Philippines Software Industry Association (PSIA) in 2016, which

was reported by Chua (2017), 52% of IT students in the country are not hirable. One of the reasons

for this is the school curriculum since the students are taught the computer language instead of the

programming logic. Aside from that, the biggest struggles that a programmer has to face go

through is lack of experience and the passion for learning itself (Evergara, 2013). On a news report

by Cacho (2019), according to the founder of Coders Build Joey Gurango, there is a reduction of

Computer Science and IT graduates in the Philippines for the school year 2019-2020 by 90%.

Nevertheless, the nation has the same demand for programmers with 8 out of the top 25 jobs in the

United States as tech-positions (Gonzales, 2019). Furthermore, the monthly salary of a computer

programmer in the Philippines is ₱21,412 (Indeed, 2020).

Locally, the computer programming course has been a high demand since technology has

been growing year by year. On a news report by Silva (2017), Region 7's Department of Labor and

Employment Director, Exequiel Sarcauga stated in 2016 that the services sectors are said to be in

demand, as well as construction jobs. On the other hand, programming, welding, and other highly

technical jobs that require particular skills are also in demand yet harder to fill in (Silva, 2017). In

Cebu, IT Specialists get the highest salary, which ranges from ₱25,000 for fresh graduates to

₱94,000 for managers (Garcia, 2015).

Information Technology career is a high demand around the world, even in our country,

for technology has been on the rise today. Because of this, there is a competition in this field of

work among programmers. Thus, this research aims to understand the experiences of a professional

IT programmer in his or her journey in overcoming the competition in the programming career.

In this narrative study, it will be conveying the success story of a professional IT

programmer, alongside the experiences and struggles of the respondent. Furthermore, the
researchers would like to discover the reasons behind pursuing the programming course and how

the participant strived to defeat the odds of getting the success he or she has achieved now. The

researchers believe that knowing the success story of the respondent would benefit society,

especially to the students who currently take up the programming course and to the ones who

consider choosing this field of career.

Problem Statement

This narrative study seeks to tell the success story of a professional IT programmer from

his initiation until reaching the peak of his career.

Sub-problems:

1. What made him or her choose the programming course?

2. How difficult was the course for him or her as a student?

3. What were the struggles that he or she had to face in order to get a career as an IT

programmer?

4. What made him or her strive to succeed in the programming field?

Review of Related Literature

An Information Technology (IT) degree centers on a branch of engineering that involves

the use of computers for the collection, storing, sharing, and protection of digital information

(Beal, 2020). IT course is responsible for producing individuals who can help other people with

their technological problems. Many industries today are having an in-demand of skilled

programmers. However, not everyone who takes the course has the easy way out to success. This
section of the study discusses the detailed analysis of related literature and studies about the

success story of a professional IT programmer from his initiation to the peak of his career.

Reasons to Take Programming

Proceeding to college is a challenging thing. Choosing a course to take for college is a lot

of pressure and needs to be done thoroughly. However, many things may influence one’s decision

to take a specific course. Based on the study of Ouano, Torre, Japitan, and Moneva (2019), the

factors that influenced the students’ chosen courses for college in Jagobiao National High School

Senior High School Department were institutional considerations, followed by the decision-

making and interest, peer influence, and future job opportunities.

With this result, institutional factors such as the location, educational facilities, cost of

money, and employment opportunities, mainly influenced the students from the said school. The

students’ interest in the course and the influence of their friends came next, respectively. The last

factor that influenced the students’ college course choice was the future job opportunities that the

chosen course ensures.

Whether a person is pursuing a programming course for college or wants to learn how to

code regardless of his or her age, there are reasons behind that certain decision. According to Balan

(2019), there are some top reasons why one should study Computer Science or an IT course. The

article stated that the world is living in a digital one, and most industries are relying on data and

software programmers, thus the said courses create a great impact on everything. One reason why

a person should learn programming is that the career is highly in demand. The second reason is

that IT programmers earn a huge amount of money. Another reason for pursuing the course is that

having critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and analytical skills are advantages in
becoming a successful programmer anywhere in the world. Also, there are a lot of universities that

offer computer-related scholarships, so taking the course will not be a heavyweight on the financial

aspect.

Therefore, the school, money, interest, peers, and prospect work chances can be the factors

or causes that influence a student’s decision to take a particular course in college. Moreover, a

person who pursues a computer-related course, specifically an IT degree, may be influenced by

the benefits that the course guarantees. These benefits are that it is an in-demand job, it assures a

big salary, and it can make someone successful in any part of the globe.

Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Programmers

IT Programming is not an easy subject to deal with. There are a lot of factors that contribute

to the academic performance of a student programmer. The study by Mhashi and Alakeel (n.d.)

aimed to discover the impact of socio-cultural and environmental factors on learning computer

programming skills. The researchers surveyed 143 students from Tabuk University and collected

results from different sections that included course contents, programming environment, student

environment, teaching characteristics, materials, and instructor issues from students' points of view

about learning programming. The results were that the most difficult programming concepts for

students were loop structures, recursion, arrays, pointers, passing parameters, abstract data types,

and library functions. Also, the students found access to computer labs, understanding the

programming syntax, designing programs, diving problems to sub-problems, designing functions,

and finding bugs as the most difficult. They also noted that there were no free computer labs

available at the school for practice. Additionally, the lecturers or instructor did not give a

motivating feedback to the students’ questions and ideas. The study implied that most of the

students were not hardworking, and they lacked the skills and understanding.
 To conclude, getting to learn programming is not an easy task. The reasons for this are that,

there are a lot of concepts that are harder to understand for novice programmers, and that

environmental and socio-cultural factors have effects on the difficulties of learning programming.

Teaching Method in Programming

The world has already adapted modernization, that's the reason why various teaching

methods have emerged. From the traditional teaching styles to the ICT adaptation teaching ways,

programming students can gain knowledge through different techniques. According to a study by

Lykke, Coto, Jantzen, Mora, and Vandel (2015), traditional class lectures provide stress and

nervousness due to the lack of experience with working actively and collaboratively, despite the

provision of security in terms of theoretical comprehensions. The study implied that to have

motivated students, they should be engaged in working in projects and other cooperative activities.

Also, a research study by Wang, X.M., Hwang, Liang and Wang, H.Y (2017) showed that the

students learning with an online-based teaching strategy had better programming knowledge,

skills, learning attitudes, and critical thinking awareness than students who learned through

conventional teaching strategy.

However, learning does not always mean having someone to teach you or going to school.

Learning programming can be self-taught as well. Based on an article by Pinola and Sin (2019),

having a computer and internet access are already a good start on someone's self-learning

programming journey. One must first reflect on the real reasons why he or she wants to pursue in

learning programming. Selecting and learning the right programming language is the next step

after the person figures out why he or she wants to code. There are many computer programming

languages to choose from, such as HTML, CSS, C, C++, Java, and Python. The article also

suggested to try out some online courses, focus on learning computational thinking, check out
some interactive tutorials or coding games, watch videos about coding, practice with personal

projects, and read books regarding the subject.

Thus, anyone can be a programmer since the world is not a stranger to technology or the

internet. Different students acquire knowledge in different ways. Nevertheless, as the studies above

clarified, learning programming is much easier when taught with the use of technology.

Motivation and Struggles as a Programmer

A struggle can be defined as a great effort to do something, or experiencing difficulty and

making an effort to do something (Cambridge dictionary, 2020). Struggle or struggling is when

you face a difficult task and try to overcome it. According to Cucciniello (2018), there are plenty

of things to be struggling about in programming. Nonetheless, it is in one's perseverance and

mindset that can make a person grow as a programmer. This can be interpreted that the continued

effort to achieve a desirable code and having the right and positive mindset are the keys to be able

to overcome the struggles as a programmer.

Besides, Azman's (2019) article claimed that one should measure his or her success in

programming by its level of impact. The first impact would be on the programmer himself or

herself, on the relationships he or she has, and the health and enjoyment of doing programming.

To gain success in the field, a programmer should not limit his or her time with loved ones since

they are one of the reasons why a programmer started programming. Health is wealth, so it is more

important to take care of the body than programming because if one is powerless, one cannot code.

Also, hobbies give a person excitement, so keeping up with the things a programmer likes doing

will increase his or her productivity with work. The second measurement is how much a

programmer's work would impact others' purposes. The levels of impact that this article stated is
understood to be that a programmer needs to take certain steps or levels that will help him or her

succeed in the field of programming.

Furthermore, Rajan (2019) said that the secret of great programming is self-motivation. He

stated in his article that great developers stay on top and to be on top through perseverance,

practice, and pro-activeness. Additionally, an interview about the day in the life of a programmer

made by Stewart (2019), showed that the qualities that make a programmer successful are good

communication skills and a cooperative mindset.

In conclusion, a programmer who strives to succeed is motivated enough to do his or her

tasks well, to keep practicing and not settle for less, and does not forget to interact with other

people despite the struggles he or she is facing.

With the studies and literature mentioned above, it can be understood that some factors or

reasons affect the decision of a person to pursue a programming course. It is clear as well that the

environment, socio-cultures and teaching methods can be factors affecting the success of a

programmer despite motivation. Nevertheless, there are other reasons and struggles as to how a

programmer became successful. Hence, the researchers interpret this research gap as an

opportunity to provide a narrative story on the experiences of a professional IT programmer from

when he was still studying to the point of reaching the success of his career.

Methodology

This chapter states the research procedures that will be applied and will be utilized in

response to the problem statement in the introduction, which is about the success story of a

professional IT programmer. This section of the study contains the research design, research
setting, research participant or respondent, research instruments, data collection, ethical

considerations, as well as data analysis and the researchers’ reflexivity.

Research Design

According to Zikmund (2015), a research design refers to a plan specifying the methods

and way of gathering and analyzing the needed information. The research design is the strategy

chosen by the researcher (Bhat, 2020). The importance of research design is to lessen inaccuracy,

help get maximal effectiveness, eject bias, avoid insignificant errors, reduce wastage of time, and

helpful for gathering research material (Somanna, 2015).

This study uses a qualitative type of research design. This type of research design is a social

science one that involves gathering and working with non-numerical data and then investigating

these to have a further understanding of the social life of a certain person or people in a certain

place (Crossman, 2020). Based on an article by Tiley (2017), qualitative research commonly uses

to help inform fresh concepts, theories, and products. This type of research is important since it

aims to share new ideas that can be used in people’s daily lives.

Specifically, this study will take on the narrative approach. Researchers that do a narrative

study or narrative analysis interprets stories that are told within the context of research narratively

(Allen, 2017). The usage of this approach, according to an article on Atlas.ti (2020), is that it

normally centers on the lives of individuals as told through their own stories and, it analyzes the

people’s experiences to reveal a comprehensive meaning. The significance of narrative research is

that it provides or conveys messages regarding the personal experiences of a person in an

understandable method, which is narration.

 Therefore, this research design is the most appropriate to use in this study for the reason

that it involves focusing on the experiences of a professional IT programmer that made him reach

his success. The researchers’ purpose is to study their respondent’s life journey towards his

accomplishment in his career and interpret it by discovering the importance of the participant’s

struggle. With the narrative approach, the researchers can review the data and re-tell the story in a

sequenced and thematic method.

Research Setting

The research setting describes where the study will take place. It refers to a particular area

where the subject is being studied (Joynson, n.d.). The research locale plays an important role in

deciding the subject of the study. Villa Del Rio 2, Pit-os, Cebu City, is the research setting of this

study.

The setting is located in the north-western part of Cebu. Villa Del Rio 2 is a subdivision

with about 223 houses and an estimated 1,000 people living in the area. It is part of barangay Pit-

os, which is a mountainous place within Cebu City. According to the 2015 census, barangay Pit-

os was determined to have a population of 6,244, representing 0.68% of the total population of

Cebu City. Also, Pit-os approximately positions at 10.3935, 123.9213, on the island of Cebu

(PhilAtlas, 2020).

The researchers choose this setting since it is where the needed information can be

acquired. Furthermore, it is where the respondent used to live before moving to London to continue

pursuing his career. Thus, the researchers can have instant communication with the key informants,

which are the relatives of the participant, and also the participant himself through a video call.
Research Participant

A non-probability sampling, specifically purposive sampling, is the basis of the selection

of the participants in this study. According to Crossman (2020), from the word itself, purposive

sampling is based on the objective or purpose of the study, which helps researchers to look for a

specific respondent fast. This means that the researchers need to have prior knowledge regarding

the aim of their study. By doing this, the researchers can look for a respondent that fits the criteria

of their study. Purposive sampling is appropriate to use in this study since this study is using a

narrative approach, which does not concern the sampling proportionality.

Finding the most suitable participant who can answer the interview is the researchers’

objective. Considering this study is about the success story of a professional IT programmer, then

the respondent should be an IT degree holder and is currently working on the way to success or is

already at the peak of his or her career. This study will only be interviewing one participant since

it is a narrative type of qualitative study. This signifies that the study will concentrate on one

primary respondent to acquire data related to the topic. The respondent that the researchers choose

is an IT programmer who graduated last 2013 and is now home-based in London with his family.

With these facts, the participant is the best fit to the criteria of this study.

This study will be utilizing the triangulation method to ensure trustworthiness. Based on

an article in Quirkos (2016), data triangulation is a common method wherein a researcher analyzes

data from different participants yet collected in the same way as the main participant. This is

important to avoid biases and inaccuracy of data. In this study, the key informants will be the

participant’s mother and spouse, who has been there way before his success. Gathering answers

from these key informants will add credibility to the results of this study in the way that it will

ensure the main participant’s answers regarding the topic.

 The responses from the participant and the key informants will be recorded using the

selected research instruments and will be carefully analyzed in this study to disclose its meaning.

Research Instrument

Research instruments are particularly used in measuring, design to gain data from the topic

and to analyze the details gathered from the study (Sobrena, n.d.). According to Japeth (2014),

research instruments are commonly used by the researchers to gather valid data, which will later

be analyzed. To gain reliable and accurate information, the researchers will be interviewing with

the participant through a video call, utilizing a semi-structured interview questionnaire, video

recording, and field notes as tools and instruments.

An interview defines as a gentle conversation between two or more people where questions

are asked to a person to get the needed responses (Reddy, 2016). In doing this, the interviewer

must prepare a set of questions to be asked to the interviewee. The researchers in this study have

prepared a semi-structured interview questionnaire regarding the topic. Doyle (2019) claimed that

the semi-structured interview is when the interviewer does not strictly follow all the questions

indicated in the paper. In this study, the list of questions organized by the researchers will only

serve as a guide during the interview, and the researchers have the freedom to ask more questions

for data saturation.

Furthermore, the researchers in this study will be utilizing video recording as a tool to

collect data. Based on its definition in The Free Dictionary (2020), video recording is a recording

of both the visual and audible components. Since the interview between the researchers and the

participant is through video calling, the researchers will ask permission from the respondent to
record the video call interview. By doing this, the researchers will not only have the audio basis of

the answers but the visual reaction as well.

Aside from a semi-structured interview questionnaire and video recording, field notes will

also be used to gather the required data in this study. Field notes refer to notes that are made by

the researcher often about the observations of participants, locations, and events (AQR Glossary,

2018). The purpose of field notes is to have contextual documentation on the needed information

from a certain occurrence. The researchers will make use of this tool to have more accurate data.

Therefore, to collect and transcribe the required information, the research instruments to

be used in this study are namely a semi-structured interview questionnaire, video recorder, and

field notes. The researchers are assured that the instruments mentioned are fit to be used in this

study. It is because these are essential for acquiring the data despite the limitation of seeing the

participant in person.

Data Collection

Rouse (2016) stated that data collection is a systematic method in gathering and measuring

information from different sources to have complete and accurate findings of a certain topic. Data

collection enables researchers to ask questions to the respondent to get and evaluate the required

outcome of the study.

Gathering data is one of the most critical parts of achieving a research study. The researchers

will need a big amount of time to get the necessary information. The procedures for conducting

this research study are as follows:

First, the researchers will ask the free-time of the respondent to organize a schedule for the

interview. Follow-up is a necessity to certify the convenience of both sides, especially since the
participant is living in London, which has a time difference from the research locale. Before

proceeding to the next step, the researchers will make sure that the transmittal letter is signed and

approved by the principal.

After confirming the scheduled date for the interview, the researchers will eventually go to

the place stated in the research setting. Immediately after arriving, the researchers will send a

scanned copy of the consent form and give the participant time to read and sign it. The form will

serve as evidence that the respondent agrees to the terms and conditions in conducting the

interview. Once the form is already signed, scanned, and sent back to the researchers, the

researchers will request for a video call with the participant, and ask the participant to have the

whole video call recorded.

During the interview, the research instruments will be utilized. For recording the data, the

researchers will make use of video recording along with note-taking. In the process of gathering

facts, the prepared interview questionnaire will be asked to the respondent as well as additional

questions that are related to the topic. With the support of follow-up questions, it will provide the

researchers with enough facts.

After interviewing the main participant, the key informants will be the next interviewees.

The researchers will ask questions relevant to the questions asked to the main respondent. The

researchers need to acquire several answers from various sources to get a saturated data.

Subsequently, the data collected will be analyzed. Data analysis will be done to reveal the logical

meaning of the information.

Data Analysis

Based on an article from the University of Pretoria (2020), data analysis is a step-by-step

process in which it involves summarizing and interpreting the data collected by utilizing analytical

and logical reasoning to generate conclusions. In research, analyzing the data is the most important

part since it requires to follow certain procedures to have a meaningful understanding of the topic.

In this narrative study, thematic data analysis will be utilized. According to Caulfield

(2019), thematic analysis is a way to analyze qualitative data, which also helps in examining the

data collected to determine common themes. Thematic analysis is described as a flexible data

analysis because it has no specific research design assigned to it. Thus, it can be utilized in a

phenomenological study, case study, narrative study, and the likes (Statistics Solutions, 2019).

This type of data analysis has different approaches, yet, most studies follow these steps, namely:

transcribing, familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming

themes, and lastly, writing up (Caulfield, 2019).

The first phase of thematic analysis is transcribing, which means the researchers need to

record or write down the necessary information. Familiarization is the second phase. From the

word itself, the researchers need to familiarize or get an in-depth overview of all the transcribed

data. The third phase of thematic analysis is coding. In this step, the researchers have to highlight

or emphasize specific information and code those down. The fourth phase is generating themes.

The researchers will be skimming through the codes created, determine the patterns, and then

classifying the codes into themes. The next phase is reviewing the themes. This part of analyzing

the data is where the researchers will be evaluating and comparing the themes generated to the

coded data. In this phase, it makes sure that the themes represent the data. Defining and naming

themes is the sixth phase. The researchers will formulate the meaning of each theme and come up
with comprehensive names for each. The last phase is writing up. This step is where the researchers

will write up the report of the whole analysis of data.

The researchers will make sure that there is no gap in generating the themes from the

information that is to be collected. In analyzing the data, the researchers will also focus on reading

the data thoroughly and carefully to gain accurate and non-biased findings. To ensure objectivity

in this narrative study, the researchers will use the triangulation method.

Ethical Considerations

In conformity to this, the researchers will have contact with the participant via video call.

Before conducting the interview, the researchers will ask for authorization from the participant.

The participant has the decision of whether or not to participate in the study. The respondent should

not feel any coercion to participate in the interview. The said research will make certain that the

privacy and decisions of the participant and the key informants are respected. Information attained

during the interview will be reported honestly and accurately. Confidentiality and anonymity of

the respondent are of the dominant importance.

Researcher’s Reflexivity

To enhance credibility and validity in this study, the researchers will make use of the

triangulation method. According to Noble and Heale (2019), the triangulation method can help

overcome biases from a single source. This technique allows the researchers to interview more

respondents who are related to the main participant in the study, which they are known as key

informants.

By conducting the triangulation method, the study’s credibility will improve, given that the

two different sources will coincide with each other. The researchers will make certain that the
information gathered from the key informants is purely based on facts and not opinions. Another,

the researchers will do further analysis from the collected data to have additional conclusions.

Results

This section of the study discusses the qualitative analysis of the data gathered. In the

analysis phase, the researchers examined the answers of the participant and the key informants into

generative themes which are described individually. The researchers evaluated how the themes

overlapped and assessed whether and how the data was presented. The researchers also answered

the research primary questions, and the sub-questions were also recognized.

As the data was analyzed, the following themes arise in this study. These themes were

generated from the raw data, which were collected and encoded following the Data Analysis, as

mentioned in the Methodology. The following themes are:

Taking the Challenge in Programming

Choosing a course to take up in college is not an easy thing to do for most students. Others

are still confused on what to pursue as their future jobs. However, for this study’s participant

Joshua, taking the challenge in doing the IT programming course is not a difficult task at all. The

participant said,

“I took the challenge to take the IT course when I was in college. Before, mommy and

daddy told me to take the Norwegian Nautical Course in UC-METC but I decided to take IT.”
 The options handed to Joshua by his parents did not alter his decision to pursue IT

programming. He was somehow eager to learn how to code and face the demands of the course.

Furthermore, there were also people and things that influenced his decision. He mentioned,

“No one. No one influenced me. Slightly with my friends. Physically I am fond with

computers that’s why.”

The participant’s decision to take the said course was somewhat because of his friends and

his constant fondness for computer games. Nevertheless, it was still his passion that made him

choose IT.

Thus, the participant chose the programming course based on his own decision. The reason

was mainly because of his ambition to take the challenge of the course. The factors that also

influenced his decision were his friends and his love for computer games.

According to the study of Ouano, Torre, Japitan and Moneva (2019), two of the four factors

that affected the students’ college course choices were the decision-making and interest, and also

the influences of peers. Both factors came up in the results, respectively, after the institutional

considerations as the most significant. This theme supports those facts since the reasons for the

participant to choose IT programming was partly because of his friends and his interest in computer

gaming. It was mainly because of his drive to take the challenge of the course as well.

Striving to Succeed Despite Being an Average Student

Struggles cannot be avoided in life, especially for students regardless of the year level,

gender, age, or course. For the participant in this study, Joshua had his fair share of struggles as an

IT student before. He said,

 “At first, my approach on the programming, specifically on programming subjects, I was

not interested but the moment I started solving the problems that they usually have like the teachers

gave us, every test that we should take, that time where I solved a problem, specific problems that

involved mathematical analysis, that’s the time when I got interested in programming.”

The respondent did not directly like the programming subjects at first. However, by the

time he solved a problem involving mathematical analysis, he was slowly learning to take an

interest in the course. Furthermore, the respondent revealed that the programming lesson he found

the most difficult to deal with was the Java language. Nonetheless, he was able to cope up with the

struggle. He stated,

“Obviously with the help of my friends, of my classmates so it’s something to do with peer

programming and at the same time, exchanging of ideas and at the same time, helping each other

so that’s how I coped up with the subject that I had.”

With the help of the respondent’s classmates and friends, he was able to handle the

difficulty of the subjects in school. He learned about peer programming, which he described as

programmers helping each other out. He got to practice by himself and also practice on how to be

a team member and team leader.

Thus, learning programming takes time. A programmer does not immediately grasp all

concepts at once, and sometimes, with the help of other people who know the subject can be a

fundamental factor to succeed in the field.

According to the study of Lykke, Coto, Jantzen, Mora and Vandel (2015), students should

be engaged in collaborative works or projects to be motivated, less stressed and to gain more

experience. This result in this study supports the idea since the respondent has learned more with
the practice of peer programming. His problems with the subject were acknowledged and were

given solutions with the help of his classmates.

The grades that a student obtains determine the quality of his or her academic performance.

As for this study's respondent, grades were important to him because it determined which areas he

needed to work on or improve. However, similarly to most college students, Joshua also

experienced having a failed grade. He confirmed,

“Yeah I have failed on two subjects. So maybe it was because of the time slot and the

teacher also. The first one was the physics. The reason why I failed is because I felt lousy on that

time slot, it was around 1 to 2 PM in the afternoon so it’s very lousy and it was supposed to be a

nap time so I didn’t have much focus on the subject. And the other one, on the other hand, it was

a major subject. The problem was the teacher it’s because her approach or her method on

teaching, for me, I see, it’s not very effect. That’s why as well, I failed.”

One of the respondent’s defeat in the first phase of his journey to success was experiencing

a failed grade in his minor and major subject. The time slot of his Physics class was not favorable

because it made him sleepy, and the focus was not there. On the other hand, he failed his

programming subject because of the non-efficiency of his teacher's methods. He revealed that he

got unmotivated, knowing that he failed. Nevertheless, he retook the subjects, learned where his

gaps were, and learned ways how to pass those subjects again.

Thus, successful people have their own experiences of failure, but because of those, they

can learn from their mistakes. Professionals were once beginners, and they also underwent

hardships and trials to get where they are now. What matters is that despite feeling unmotivated,

one must not give up and strive back again.

 The study of Mhashi and Alakeel (n.d.) aimed to discover the effects of environmental and

socio-cultural factors to the learning of programming skills of the students in Tabuk University.

One factor was the instructor issues from the students’ point of view, and the study claimed that

the feedbacks of the lecturers or instructors were not motivating the students. This study coincides

with this fact since the respondent also had a concern about the instructor of his programming

subject. Hence, an instructor's teaching methods in programming affect the learning experiences

of the students.

The respondent of this study is now a successful programmer working in the U.K.

However, his mother and wife described him as just an average student before in school. The first

informant, which is his mother, stated,

“As a student, he was generally just an average student back in elementary, most of the

time he got zeros on his assignments. But he tried hard as a student, he didn’t depend on my help

too much. He didn’t need my help too much, he worked hard by himself. He’s not really an

academic achiever.”

As a student before, Joshua was not academically inclined, but he made sure that his

parents’ hardships for him would not go to waste, so he worked hard to learn by himself in school.

His wife’s statement also supported his mother’s words. She said that he was a mediocre student

who did not pressure himself to focus in all subject areas, but when it comes to programming, he

was an excellent student. Even if he studied or not, he did outdo in his programming class.

In conclusion, although being an achiever in school gives the advantage of getting a

successful career, it is not always the measurement of success. Sometimes a poorly performing
student or an average student gets to be more successful in life than a student who is all grades and

medals. It is in one’s life strategy and perseverance than makes a person successful.

According to Cucciniello (2018), it is through perseverance and a right and positive

mindset that makes a programmer grow and succeed. The respondent in this study strived to

succeed despite being an average student in school before, and that made him be where he is now.

Facing the Obstacles in the Work Field

Programming is known to be one of the most in-demand jobs in any industry in the world.

As for the respondent in this study, he was once working as a Web Developer in the Philippines.

There were many obstacles the participant encountered in his working experience, especially when

he was still a freshman in the field. He stated,

“So successfully I landed on the job that I like and love so it was in Web Express, I was

employed as a Web Developer. So on the first two years, it was very too much to take in because I

learned how to build my own confidence and apart from skills, your camaraderie (was built) as

well and being a team member. And learn how to improve my decision making skills and how

quickly you respond to those problems in stuffs that needs to be decided and needs to be handled

quickly as much as possible.”

For the first job he experienced being a Web Developer, Joshua learned how to build his

own confidence and a spirit of friendly good-fellowship among his co-workers. His decision-

making skills also improved, and he learned how to be punctual with the submission of his works

as well. However, as he started working, some changes happened in his life. He said,

“Yeah mostly I think it was having the salary and having the opportunity to do what I like

with my salary. But apart from that salary I already changed my lifestyle as well not just from a
working standpoint but my personal and social life. I was very driven into work, at the same time

social life as well, so not just in a bad way but in a good way, it helps me balance my life and yeah

it’s really important to have a balanced life, not just allocate your life in work.”

As he stepped into the work field, Joshua has experienced earning money from his sweat

and having the chance to do whatever he wants with his salary. His lifestyle also changed for the

better, in a way that he did not entirely deal with his life only into work, but at the same time,

socialize with other people.

According to Azman (2019), a person must measure his success in programming by its

levels of impact. In the first level of impact, the article stated that a programmer must not limit his

or her time with loved ones because they are one of the reasons why a programmer started

programming. The article coincides with this theme since this result shows that having to socialize

with other people helps in balancing life and work together.

Working as a Programmer In and Out of the Country

Information Technology jobs are in-demand in any part of the world, making most

programmers work out of the country. In this study’s respondent, he was blessed and lucky enough

to be able to migrate together with his own family, and work in the United Kingdom, still as a Web

Developer. Joshua said,

“In my job, in my company they’re not very serious. They’re (co-workers) very hilarious,

they’re funny. And my co-employees are so very active despite their age. They’re old—they’re

older than me. So I feel very blessed with my job right now and different as well when it comes to

business field.”
 Moving to a different country and working as a programmer abroad do not seem to be a

difficult thing for Joshua. He got along with his co-employees right away despite being younger

than them. Moreover, he also experienced some differences in working overseas. He mentioned,

“There are differences. There’s one especially the culture, the people you’re working with,

and the different personalities of each of the co-employees you got or experience with. So mainly

those three are the differences of working here in UK and working in the Philippines. So,

nonetheless, they are the same like the field of business, it’s quite the same as far as I’ve known.”

The culture of the job's place and the different people that he works with affect his work

experience. Joshua noticed these differences since he already experienced working in the

Philippines and is currently working in the United Kingdom. The similarity of working in both

countries that Joshua observed is the way how the field of business goes. Nonetheless, the

respondent confirmed that working out of the country was not that hard. He stated,

“It’s not very difficult it’s because if you love your job that means it’s easier for you to

work with your job so it’s just the matter of having the mindset.”

Hence, working out of the country is not exactly as hard as most oversea workers said it to

be. Certain factors, such as culture and engagement with diverse personalities, determine the

hardships in the work field. If one is given a chance to work abroad with the job that the person

loves doing, it is like not having to work a day in life because it does not feel like it is difficult at

all, no matter what reward is given after the work.

Cucciniello (2018) claimed that there are many things that a programmer struggles about,

but when he or she perseveres and has the right mindset, a programmer learns to grow. This theme

supports that fact since, despite the struggles of working in and out of the Philippines, the
participant has grown to be more professional. He also has become successful in his work because

of his mindset, which is loving his job.

Passion for Programming

Every person pursues to do something because of the reason that he or she loves to do it or

is passionate about doing it. The respondent in this study is passionate about the course that he

pursued and the career that he currently has, which aligned with the course he graduated from.

Joshua gained success in his career because of his passion for programming. His wife supported

this fact and stated,

“I think that’s the job he can really excel and he’s passionate about. Because even like in

simple household works, he really can’t do it but when it comes to computer programming, I really

believe in him. Those carpenter works? He can’t really do those but let him talk about

programming, he can really get it.”

Since the participant already has a family to take care of and work for, he still does not

know how to manage the household chores and fix some things in the house. However, he can

manage programs and fix errors in codes fast. His wife supports him and in his job as a programmer

because she believes that that is the field where he shines and has a passion for it. She also

mentioned,

“Even in his work, he’s really fast and efficient. That’s the thing as well that his boss likes

about him, that’s why he is liked by their boss because he can solve the problem fast and at the

same time, because there are many programs that he fixed, many projects are given to him because

he’s done with the others way before the deadline. So that’s it.”
 The respondent is said to be a fast and effective programmer, making him more admired

by the company that he works for. Also, he has been given more opportunities because of his

efficiency and punctuality at work.

Thus, if one has passion in a certain field, it will be easy to do the work and to succeed

because the person knows how to handle the job well enough and effectively too. However, if

someone does something without passion and out of the person’s comfort zone, it will be a difficult

thing since the person will not have the capability to work proficiently.

Based on the article by Azman (2019), enjoyment of doing programming was one of the

things mentioned in the first level of impact on the success of a programmer. Passions and hobbies

are two different things. Passions are what the person will do throughout his or her whole life,

whereas hobbies are things that someone enjoys doing for some point in his or her life. The

participant in this study gained success in his field of work because of his passion for

programming.

Secrets of a Successful Programmer

Each successful people has a strategy or way to reach the success that they dream of. Even

if there are circumstances that would hinder their journey to success, they can handle those

situations well enough because of those strategies or secrets. For this study’s participant, Joshua

also has his secrets of being a successful programmer. He stated,

“Just stay focus and believe in yourself that you can do it whatever problem along your

way, and just think that it is just another problem that you can solve. There’s no problem that can’t

be solved, that’s the motto or that’s the thing that you must think. God will not give you the problem

that you can’t solve so that’s it. It’s not really in a religious way but it’s just life.”
 Being a successful programmer or any profession, the person must trust and believe in

himself or herself. Any problems one faces are steps to success, and simply the person is

encountering that obstacle because God knows he or she can handle or solve it. Having those

hardships in life makes an individual stronger and wiser. Aside from that, the participant also

mentioned about success as a journey. His words were,

“It’s (success) just about your journey, it’s not where you end up. So it’s just the journey

itself, which I think I feel successful.”

For Joshua, success is about the journey, not the destination. Being successful is being the

person whose goal is to explore and learn things along the way, not aiming for a great reward at

the end of the line. The respondent also gave an inspirational message to the students or people

who are thinking of pursuing programming. Joshua said,

“(Being) resourceful is a very clever thing to do and as well as do the best practices of

writing codes and apart from being focused, you need to set your goals. Have fun at the same

time.”

Having the ability to find clever ways quickly to overcome problems is one way to succeed

as a programmer. Practices on writing codes and focus on work are also things to consider.

However, one must not focus too much and just have fun at the same time.

Thus, being a successful programmer is not easy because some challenges or obstacles

need to be encountered to reach that success. Even so, if a programmer is resourceful, has a goal,

practices his or her skills, balances life and work, and believes that no problem cannot be solved,

a programmer will grow and reach the success he or she is working for.
 Rajan (2019) mentioned in his article that the secret to great programming is self-

motivation, and great developers persevere, practice, and are pro-active. This theme supports this

information since Joshua, the participant, clarified in his message to the aspiring programmers to

do the best practices in writing codes as one of the secrets to become a successful programmer.

Conclusion

The researchers found out that it takes a great challenge to become a successful professional

IT programmer. There are a lot of reasons for a person to pursue a certain course. For the

participant in this study, he took the IT programming course as a challenge for him. Peer

programming or seeking help from classmates and friends helped the participant to cope up with

the difficulties of the course. The time slot and teaching methods affected the learning experience

of the participant, which made him fail two subjects in the course. The researchers also found out

that being an average student is not a disadvantage to be successful, as long as the person practices

and perseveres. The participant’s lifestyle also changed when he started to work, in a way that he

learned to balance his time in socializing and working. The participant noticed that the culture and

different personalities of co-employees were the differences of working overseas and in the

country. The researchers found out that the participant’s passion was what made him gain success

in the field. Practicing writing codes, balancing life and work, and being resourceful are some of

the secrets to be a successful IT programmer.

The findings of this research support the article of Azman (2019) about the levels of impact

on the success of a programmer. The article stated that in the first level of impact, a programmer

must not limit his or her time with loved ones since they are the ones who motivate and support
him or her. Also, a programmer should take care of his or her health and find enjoyment in

programming. The results of this study showed that balancing time with socializing with other

people, especially loved ones, and work helped the participant to grow and gain success. Treating

programming as a passion, and not just as a hobby, is also the key that made the participant

successful today.

This study entails the success story of a professional IT programmer from his beginning

until the peak of his career. The programming teachers or lecturers can benefit from this study

since they can have an understanding of the impact of teaching methods to the students. More

importantly, this study benefits the aspiring programmers and other programmers, who are still

striving for success, since the success story of the participant can inspire them. Two of the factors

that contributed to the journey of success of the participant were the teaching methods of the

teacher and the passion for programming. Learning something about a certain subject depends on

how the teacher teaches it. Proving that some students fail his or her subject, this greatly affects

the learning experience of the student. In contrast, having a passion for programming needs to be

known as a significant factor. A person must have passion for what he or she is doing, may it be

programming or any field, because if one has passion, he or she can do that job for a lifetime and

grow for the better, and succeed in life.

Recommendation

For the programming teachers, the researchers recommend that they consider the

comments and suggestions of the students regarding the teaching methods, to have a better learning

experience. Also, the instructors can generate a motivational exercise or an energizer before

starting the lesson to avoid drowsiness, especially during supposed-to-be napping hours.
 For the aspiring programmers and programmers who are still on their way to success, the

researchers suggest that they keep in mind the advice that the participant in this study stated, which

is to be resourceful, to practice and to have fun at the same time.

For future researchers, the researchers recommend that they use a different approach for the

study to get the most out of the data. Future researchers can also have a successful female

programmer as a participant to gain a different perspective on the chosen topic.

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 Acknowledgement

The researchers would like to thank those who have supported the success of this study. We
would like to thank God for the strength and the unwavering guidance. We are grateful to our
research instructor, Ms. Princess Charlyn D. Cantago, for sharing her knowledge in the field.
Lastly, to our parents, our heartfelt thanks for the encouragement and support.

Marie Amanda C. Pernito, Grade 11 ICT – Programming Student

Lead Researcher, Senior High School Department
University of Cebu – Banilad Campus
Cebu City, Philippines
amandapernito02@gmail.com
 APPENDICES
Appendix A: Transmittal Letter
Appendix B: Information Sheet
Appendix C: Informed Consent
Appendix D: Interview Guide
 Appendix E: Coded Raw Data
MAIN PARTICIPANT

E confirm lng nako nga IT programmer man jud ka dba? Specifically what kuan?

Web Development. In the area of Web Development.

Who made the decision for you to take up the programming course?

Uhh obviously it’s I. I took the challenge to take the IT course when I was in college. Before,

mommy and daddy, dad and mom, father and mother told me to take the…what was that?

Umm…Norwegian Nautical Course in UC-METC but I decided to take uhh IT. So that’s it.

What/Who influenced you to choose programming?

No one. No one influenced me. Slightly with my friends. Physically I am fond with computers

that’s why.

So other courses nga imong options kay katong nautical?

Umm…if I was to decide, uhhh either IT or computer engineering. Those are the two options.

Katong nagskwela paka, what type of a student were you? Like were you studious or lazy or

unsa man?

(Laughs) I’m in the middle so I used to have some fun at the same time, study hard and be with

my friends most of the time, spending time going outside, drinking, play computer games. But at

the same time, I did not uhhh distract myself from my studies.

As a student before, how did you deal with the demands of the course?

Before, uhhh at first, my approach on the programming, specifically on programming subjects,

uhh I was not interested but uhh the moment I started uhhhh started solving the problems that they

usually have, like the teachers gave us, every test that we should take, that time where I uhh solved

a problem, specific problem that involves mathematical analysis, that’s the time when I got

interested in programming. So that was it.

What programming lesson man did you find most difficult?

Umm as far as I remember it was Java, Java language yeah so it’s already—it’s known to be as a

sophisticated language since youth.

Why did you find it difficult man the Java and how did you handle those difficult lessons?

So how did I cope up with the difficulties that I had on Java language, yeah? Umm…obviously

with the help of my friends, of my classmates so it’s something to do with peer programming and

at the same time, exchanging of ideas and at the same time, helping each other so that’s how I cope

up with the subject that I had. So at least, from that practice, I practiced myself up until now how

to be team—how to a team leader or a team member, and how to be—your skills of peer

programming or coordination of team will develop.

Was there a point in your student life nga nakahuna-huna ka nga mo shift og laing course?

No. No, by the time I got interested in programming there’s no going back, so I took 100% focus

on the course.

Di man jud malikayan ang mga problems, especially sa students, so kanang financially, what

were your problems katong nagskwela ka?

Ah I feel blessed because financially I had no problems with my family. I am the eldest so my

parents did their great job and giving me the—everything that I need, everything with the school

funds, school requirements. So far I feel very blessed that my parents gave me a good education.
That’s the one thing you also need to consider while doing uh studying. You must uh think of your

parents. Before I didn’t realize how hard to earn money. That’s why up until now, I realized it’s

really hard to get money, to earn money. That’s why you need to pursue what do you want to be

in the future. That’s one of my advices to the youth right now in taking IT. So that’s it.

Socially, wala kay problems with other people ato? Like your family, ana2? Wa kay obstacles

ato?

Umm as far as I remember, socially when it comes to family or friends, you cannot avoid those

kinds of problems that you are encountering. So normally yes, students before—as a student

before, I encountered problems. That’s very normal.

What emotional problems did you encounter as a student before and how did those emotional

problems affect your studies?

It affects me positively it’s because, as you all know, like emotional support and emotional

inspiration like crushes and girlfriends, those kinds of stuffs, so it affects me positively. It depends

on you on how you respond. So sometimes I feel very uh insecure but somehow it drives me to

focus when it comes to emotional—especially family. There’s no problems regarding emotions.

Was having good grades important to you?

Yes, so grades matter. So normally it helps you determine when or what you’re good at. So it helps

you to make you determine which areas of the—which area you need to improve. So that’s it.

Nakasuway nakag nahagbong ka sa major subject?

Yeah I have failed twice on two subjects. So maybe, it was because of uh the time slot and uh the

teacher also because uh the first one was the physics. The reason why I failed is because I feel
lousy on that time slot, it was around 1 to 2 PM in the afternoon so it’s very very lousy and it was

supposed to be a nap time so I didn’t have much focus on the subject. And the other one, on the

other hand, so it was a major subject. The problem was the teacher it’s because she always uhh her

approach or her methods on teaching for me, I see, it’s not very effective. That’s why as well, I

failed. But apart from that, I took the other—I retake the subjects then after that, I know where are

my gaps and how to pass it again. So it’s very normal for a student.

So did that affect you, like were you unmotivated when you found out that you failed?

Yeah of course sometimes you feel uh very unmotivated it’s because of that uh because of those

things—the time slot, the teacher. So those are some of the factors based on my experience on my

college days.

Overall, did you find the course difficult?

Yeah it’s difficult but I find it very interesting and uh more challenging it’s because of—because

it harness your skills of analyzing the problem and also gives you the edge to—how to solve the

problems perfectly and how to adapt on the environment as well and yeah. When it comes to work,

so it really helps you to improve yourself as a whole not just uh on your personal skills but as well

as your attitude as well towards your—towards to everything that comes up in your life or in your

course as well.

So what was the first job that you landed after ni graduate ka?

So successfully I landed on the job that I like and love so it was uh in Web Express, I was employed

as a web developer. So on the first two years, it was very very very too much to take in because I

learned how to build my own confidence and apart from skills, your camaraderie as well and being

a team member as well and how you uh learn how to improve my decision making skills and how
quickly you respond to those problems in stuffs that needs to be decided and needs to be handle

quickly as much as possible and to finish task in a time table that has been given or I mean before

the deadline and that’s it. I feel very blessed for the opportunity that I was given.

So what were the changes in your life katong nakatrabaho naka?

Yeah mostly I think it was uh having the salary and having the opportunity to do what I like with

my salary and—but apart from that salary I already changed my lifestyle as well not just from a

working standpoint but my lifestyle—uh my personal and social life I was very driven into work

at the same time social life as well, so not just in a bad way but in a good way, it helps me uh

balance my life and yeah it’s really important to have a balanced life, not just allocate your life in

work.

What is your current job, still Web Developer? I mean, can you describe your current job?

In my job, in my company they’re not very serious. They’re (co-workers) very hilarious, they’re

funny. And although my co-employees are so very active and uh despite their age, they’re old—

they’re older than me. So I feel very blessed with my job right now and different as well when it

comes to business field. Before I was in a company—IT company agencies. But right now I’m

employed in an insurance company, car insurance company so it’s not that very different it’s just

the project that I’ve been working on. It’s just uh before I’ve done many projects uh through their

clients—to our clients, other agencies, other companies in UK. Right now we’re just doing an in-

house project. So that’s how my project is going on so…and it’s fun.

How different is it to work as a programmer inside and outside of the Philippines?

Umm there are differences, yes umm…umm there’s one especially the culture, the people around

you’re working with, and the different personalities of each of the co-employees you got or
experience with so mainly those three are the differences of working here in UK and working in

the Philippines. So, nonetheless, they are the same like the field of business, it’s quite the same as

far as I’ve known. It’s just the—those three.

Lisod ba magtrabaho as a programmer diha sa London?

London? I haven’t been working in London yet. So here in UK, you mean?

Ah UK, I mean…

Aww yeah…what was the question again? Is it hard? Umm…it depends on how you define hard

so if I—if you let me define uh difficult uh to be honest it’s not very difficult it’s because uh if you

are in your—uh if you love your job, that means you—that you make it uh—(it’s) easier for you

to work with your job so it’s just the matter of having the—the mindset. So, for example for me, I

feel very easy and in terms of uh the task or the project that I’ve been working with so and it’s

actually it’s the opposite it’s very exciting and more interesting because you get to use the

languages that you like or the technologies that you like—would like to apply on a specific project.

So, it’s—to be a developer, in general, it’s quite very interesting and fun not like other professions

like uh like call center agents or something. So you’re just taking calls and it’s the like the routine

it’s—repetitive routine. So unlike in development, as a developer, you get to use uh different

technologies and other methodologies that you want and practice it by yourself and not just

repetitively use it. It’s just how you efficiently work on your task. So that’s how I define my work

here so.

What or who inspired you to succeed in your career?

God and family.

As of now, can you say that you are successful and why do you say so?

Umm ahh…?? For being a successful, it’s not the destination, it’s about—all about the journey

so…so that’s what I think about a successful career. It’s just about your journey, it’s not the where

you end up so it’s just the—the journey itself, which I think I feel successful. So that’s it.

What do you think made you successful or what are the secrets to your successful career?

Umm just stay focus and believe in yourself and you can do it whatever problems along your way

and just think it is just another problem that you can solve. There’s no problem that can’t be solved,

that’s the motto or that’s the thing that you must think. God will not give you the problem that you

can’t solve so that’s it. It’s not really in a religious way but it’s just—it’s just life.

What advice can you give to aspiring IT programmers like you?

Yeah uh be resourceful as well, that was one thing I didn’t tell you about. (Being) resourceful is

very very clever thing to do and as well, do the best practices of writing codes and apart from being

focused, you need to be—set your goals and set your uh—for example you have been assigned to

a specific task, you need to code blocks what I mean the problems along the way and have fun at

the same time if you are a web developer or IT profession and you must have the attitude and…I

think that’s all I can give advice to any youth out there that has been taking IT.

INFORMANT #1

Describe Joshua as a son.

Si Joshua, imong kuya, generally, buotan ra cya. Pero sometimes insensitive sa feelings nato.

Helpful cya katong bata-bata pa cya nya…

Karon diay?

Helpful sad cya. Gikan pagkagamay buotan jud na cya nya…kanang playful kayo cya murag bata

pa hantud ron cgeg duwa labi na sa computer nya karon supportive kayo cya sa atoa. Ok.

Describe kuya Joshua as a student before.

As a student, generally kuan rapud na cya average student nya pag elementary niya mostly gani

walay assignment, bitlog. Pero naningkamot cya as a student, dili kaayo cya dependent sa help

nako. Di kaayo cya magpatudlo, maningkamot ra cyag iyaha. Pero dili gyud cya ka ing-ana nga

academically kanang achiever. Mao ra.

I would like to confirm nga kuan first ni ingon man cya nga ang parents daw ang nagkuan

first nga mag nautical cya. Is it true?

Dili kaayo ko kahinumdom but nakalimot na siguro ko but siguro tinuod na.

Do you still communicate with him now?

Of course.

Did you want him to pursue a different course instead of IT?

Dili kaayo ingon ta nga kanang namugos but probably before naghatag ko niya’g options pero mao

man jud iyang gusto, IT.

But you still support him sa iyang desisyon?

Mmm hmm (agreed).

Did you expect nga maka graduate cya?

Yes, expect jud kay naningkamot jud mi ana nga ma—gi make sure jud nako nga maka graduate

cya.

And did you expect nga maka out of the country cya?

Wala jud kaayo ko nag expect katong nga on his own nga makaadto dayon cya. Na kuan lang ko
kay siguro tungod kay naminyo na cya.

And how did you feel nga like naka kuan cya ron naa cya’s London (UK)?

Very happy and proud and kanang hope nga makatabang jud cya sa atoa.

Sa katong pagskwela niya, how did you support him man...financially, emotionally?

Financially, of course supportive, bisag unsay—unsay kinahanglan buhaton, gibuhat. Mangutang

diri, mangutang didto para lang makabayad sa tuition nya sa iyaha sang studies kahinumdom ko

before, ako pu’y nagbuhat sa iyang mga project katong mga grader pa cya og high school. High

school jud to nga ako’y nagbuhat sa iyang mga project. Pero college na, dili man ko kamao sa

iyang—ayy nakabuhat diay ko oi katong mga Filipino, kanang iyahang daily report in Tagalog di

man kaayo cya kamao og kato sang sa English niya nga kuan pero sa mga major niya, di man ko

kabalo so cya rato.

And katong nakatrabaho na cya, did you still support him?

Oo! Financially, dili na kaayo sa financial kay naa naman cya’y own pero kana bang sa reminders,

emotional mga—life decisions og sa kanang iyahang—sa love life oo, supportive kaayo si mama.

How did you feel nga karon nga successful na kaayo cya? Do you think nga successful na

cya?

Oo, na reach gyud niya ang iyang goal nga ma IT programmer cya so proud kaayo ko niya. Wa ko

nag expect nga despite sa iyang—kung atong e measure ang iyahang na achieve or iyang

performance as a student katong elementary days pa niya nga cge lang ga zero iyang assignment,

wa ko nag expect nga ingon ana cya ka successful karon sa iyang career so di gyud nato ma sulti

based sa imong pagskwela although dako kaayo na cya og kanang impact sa success nimo pero

dili sad na maoy measurement or factor nga ma successful baka or dili inig naa najud ka sa field

sa work. Pero karon proud kaayo ko ni Joshua kay naabot na niya didto without much of my help,
iyaha jud nang paningkamot, ilang duha ni Shybie (wife).

INFORMANT #2

Can you please describe kuya as a—di ba nagkaila naman mong kuya katong student pa

mo?

Oo.

Can you describe kuya as a student before?

Well it’s not a very uh—no, he’s a type of student nga ano umm going with the flow as you can

umm as you can remember, he actually like failed his physics subject, isn’t it? (asking to kuya) so

murag, he’s a type of student nga chill lang ana and—but there’s one time na I remember na he

really did excel sa iyahang programming nga subject, aside from all those minor subjects, wa jud

cya ga focus ana like but when it comes to programming, even though di pa cya magtuon or unsa

pa dira, he really did excel gyud, even though his classmates nga magpatabang jud niya sa iyang

programming…IT programming skills, cause I think that is really his field ba like kanang I think

he really finds passion in that subject but in terms of—aside from other subjects like wala lang

chill lang. Sometimes, ako pa’y magbuhat sa iyang assignment ana ba. But when it comes to

programming, anha jud cya like serious gyud ka’y cya, you would see him like mo kalit lang—

you would know he’s into it na kay he would start biting his fingers nya di na nimo ma kuan kay

ang utok nagdagan na so he’s like that.

Can you describe kuya as a friend and a boyfriend before?

(Laughs) Dako nga kaon nga friend! A type of friend nga di ka kuyogan kung way kaon (laughs)

di jud na cya mo kuyog nako basta way libre. But he’s a type of friend nga kanang but-an, caring

nga pagka friend ano…as a boyfriend kay sweet nya dayon ano…unsa man oi? Di naman ko
kahinumdom. (Talking to kuya) Sweet ka pagka boyfriend pero pagka minyo naman di ka sweet.

Kuan…unsa man ka dad? (talking to kuya)…sweet sauna then caring and then kanang God-fearing

najud cya daan like ano family-oriented kaayo like even though as a—he’s the only—he’s the first

guy I met nga at the age of 19? 19 naba ta ato dad? 19? (asking to kuya)… ana kay patuo jud

gihapon cya sa iyang parents mao na akong nagustuhan niya nya murag adto nako na realize nga

someday we will have our own family, I know nga e prioritize mi niya kay before, priority man

mo (his family) niya, nya even though gani yeah before gani—katong work cya, diba usually kung

naa kay trabaho kay percentage raman na imong ihatag sa imong parents, cya kay iya jud gihatag

tanan ni mama ang iyang sweldo nya adto ra cya mangayo ni mama’g kwarta, to think single pa

cya ato an aba murag…kuan cya, ing ana jud cya nga pagkatao, selfless.

How did you support him sa iyang struggles sa katong nagskwela pa cya? Katong nagskwela

pa mo?

Well, well of course because he really find difficult especially to his minor subjects, especially

English subject, literature, so umm I helped him with his projects. Example naa to cyay assignment

about Microsoft umm—unsa tong visual thingy? (asking to kuya)—Powerpoint! I’m good at it

man so I offered help and at the same time I encouraged him na to…to ano na, bisa man la’g

pasaron lang niya iyang subject kay at least kay ano it’s nice to have a degree cause that time after

school, mo adto dayon na cya’g computeran, mo dota nya alas 10 na mo uli, mura jud cya’g kuan,

oo nya mao to amo cyang kasab’an nga kanang, “di baya lalim ang pagpaskwela sa imong

ginikanan.” Nya mao rato—until suddenly kay bisag—imong minor taronga lang na nimo,

pasaron, aw napasar raman. Di man jud cya like—di man jud cya super excel sa school aside sa

iyang programming. So-so ra jud ni cya. Mao ra jud na cya, mao nang shocking kaayo na cya sa
work, at work nga grabe kaayo ma bilib ang iyahang mga kauban base sa iyang skills nya di ka

mag expect kay sa school sauna, wa ra iya ranang computeron tanan.

How did you support him man sa katong nagtrabaho na cya?

Uhh aw there was one time that he got really discouraged at his work because his boos was really

like bossy and doesn’t listen to them. Was it—MC to dad? (asking to kuya). He even came to a

point nga nakig-away cya sa iyang boss nga iya ju’ng gi ingnan nga…unsa to imong gi ingon ni

MC dad? (asking to kuya)—basta nakig-away cya kay mura man sad cya’g bata kay kung dili

cya—kung wa cyay ma uyonan, mo speak up jud cya, ang iyang mga kauban dili mo speak up, mo

duko ra. Cya jud na ang mo speak up. So that one time kay murag umm mabdos man ko ato, so I

told him na kanang “You are still in a probationary period. This is the time na murag mag itoy itoy

sa ka, mo follow sa ka sa flow ba kay you still have to stabilize your work and then it doesn’t mean

na you against something, you have to speak it up.” Sometimes, umm sometimes you can report it

directly to your immediate supervisor and your immediate supervisor have to umm ligase or have

to umm…have to talk it out sa ilang amo. Cya ato nga time kay gi bypass man ang immediate

supervisor, ni diritso man cya sa amo, which is really like ano unsubordinated naman kaayo to nga

part so mao to ako cyang gi ingnan nga you have to respect the hierarchy. So basically, I just have

to remind him nga this is how the field works kay since ako since 18 years old nagsugod naman

ko og call center uhh trabaho so kabalo najud ko nga there’re really shitty people but you don’t

need to be shitty as well because they are shitty, cause it will be just a reflection of yourself. So

you just need to be a better person. So as long as wa ka nagbinoang sa imong work, you’re doing

your job, bahala nana silang nagbinoang sila kay karma will find its way man jud. So constant

remind him nga he needs to uh to control his temper, he needs to know where he is (his place), na
kung—(if) there’s something he’s against to, he can report it to the immediate supervisor, not

bypassing.

So, do you like his job for him?

Yes because I think that’s the job na he can really excel and his passion about. Cause even like sa

simple household works, di kaayo jud niya mabuhat pero when it comes to computer

programming, grabe jud akong bilib sa imong kuya. Wala jud, lahi ra jud. Kanang mga karpentero-

karpentero? Di jud cya kamao pero pasturyaa’g programming, makuha jud niya. Ing ana ba

like…mao na cya even gani sa kanang—kuan paspas, he’s really kanang efficient and paspas jud

kaayo cya sa iyang work. That’s the thing as well that his boss likes him, maong ganahan sa iya

it’s because kanang he can solve the problem fast and at the same time kay tungod daghan ma fix

nga program, daghang project maabot kay mahuman man niya way before the deadline so mao

rajud na cya nya. Mao rajud na cya nya ang kuwang lang jud ani niya sad usahay kay kailangan

sad ni cya og kanang kay mo reklamo cya “stagnant na kaayo ko sa akong work.” Stagnant naman

kaayo cya sa iyang work kay cge rama’g dota, di man ghapon ka mag cgeg tuon—di cya mo di

cya murag mo unsa na oi mo seek og more knowledge. Mo seek rana cya’g knowledge once

nakakuha cyag project ana pero kung wala ra pud gani, wala ra pud cya pero ok raman sad gud

cya’s iyang work.

How did you feel nga kanang naka out of country najud mo og successful najud cya sa iiyang

career or iyang life in general?

Well, I’m so happy. It’s an unanswered prayer because you know, when we came here, it’s not

really easy for us, we really took a big risk especially for me na I really fought for us to came here

together. Against kaayo ang akoang family about sa akong desisyon because we are not stable

going here but umm I did not expect nga ako, I still had to take the exam and I did not expect nga
Joshua can work with his type of field kay usually man gud ang trend diri, for example ang asawa

nurse, ang bana either janitor, either healthcare assistant ra sa nurse. But kung karon ano kanang

naa mi dinhi like for instance mangutana na ang mga tao diri na “Nurse pud imong bana?” “Dili

ano cya, programmer.” Mo ingon sila “Ha kuyawa gud.” Like di—they get amazed ba because it’s

not usual nga for a dependent husband nga nurse—diba ako man jud ang main applicant, maka

work ko’g ing ana, mas dako pa gani cya’g sweldo nako! So murag happy kayko ba na we were

able to come here na both of us have a good field of profession gani na we were able to practice

our ?? mao nang happy jud kayko nga ing ani ang gi bless sa Ginoo namo.
 Curriculum Vitae of Researchers

Personal Information

Name: Marie Amanda C. Pernito

Age: 17

Birthdate: August 10, 2002

Religion: Roman Catholic

Status: Single

Educational Background

Senior High School: University of Cebu – Banilad

Strand: TVL – ICT Programming

Junior High School: Talamban National High School

Achievements and Awards

Academic Excellence Award with Honors – Grade 7 – Grade 9

Academic Excellence Award with High Honors – Grade 10

Best in Research Award – Grade 8

Skills

Good communication skills

Fluent in English

Computer literate
Personal Information

Name: Jessa Marie S. Belgera

Age: 17

Birthdate: February 11, 2003

Religion: Roman Catholic

Status: Single

Educational Background

Senior High School: University of Cebu – Banilad

Strand: TVL – ICT Programming

Junior High School: Talamban National High School

Achievements and Awards

Academic Excellence Award with Honors – Grade 9 – Grade 10

Skills

Good communication skills

Computer literate
Personal Information

Name: Niko Herbias

Age: 17

Birthdate: October 23, 2002

Religion: Roman Catholic

Status: Single

Educational Background

Senior High School: University of Cebu – Banilad

Strand: TVL – ICT Programming

Junior High School: Consolacion National High School

Achievements and Awards

Academic Excellence Award with Honors – Grade 8 – Grade 10

Skills

Good communication skills

Computer literate
Personal Information

Name: Charlhan Dave Opcionar

Age: 17

Birthdate: June 20, 2002

Religion: Roman Catholic

Status: Single

Educational Background

Senior High School: University of Cebu – Banilad

Strand: TVL – ICT Programming

Junior High School: Academia De San Isidro Labrador

Skills

Computer literate

Computer hardware skills

Personal Information

Name: Hiyacenth Mea B. Arrabis

Age: 17

Birthdate: August 20, 2002

Religion: Roman Catholic

Status: Single

Educational Background

Senior High School: University of Cebu – Banilad

Strand: TVL – ICT Programming

Junior High School: Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School

Skills

Computer literate

Computer hardware skills

Personal Information

Name: Aljhale Khyle G. Ynot

Age: 17

Birthdate: September 17, 2002

Religion: Roman Catholic

Status: Single

Educational Background

Senior High School: University of Cebu – Banilad

Strand: TVL – ICT Programming

Junior High School: Canduman National High School

Skills

Computer literate

Computer hardware skills

Personal Information

Name: Earl Audrey A. Abay

Age: 17

Birthdate: October 30, 2002

Religion: Roman Catholic

Status: Single

Educational Background

Senior High School: University of Cebu – Banilad

Strand: TVL – ICT Programming

Junior High School: Mount Olives School of the Phils

Skills

Computer literate

Computer hardware skills