A Lifetime of Work: Understanding the Lives of Senior Workers in the City of Baguio

Document Types

Paper Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Living Culture and Contemporary Societies (LCS)

School Name

Berkeley School, Inc.

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Astudillo, Alfonso III, B.

Start Date

25-6-2026 10:30 AM

End Date

25-6-2026 12:00 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

Online - https://zoom.us/j/95274188371?pwd=bXhb7DQU3HQbLltdMsVaoT4A5iwGBr.1 Meeting ID: 952 7418 8371 | Passcode: research

Abstract/Executive Summary

This study explored the lived experiences of 17 senior workers in Baguio City, uncovering the profound meaning-making involved in labor during late adulthood. Utilizing a double hermeneutic approach, the researchers interpreted how these individuals navigated their Lifeworlds amidst a growing population of over 399,547 residents. The findings revealed that engagement in the workforce transcends mere economic necessity; it is an ontological drive for self-fulfillment and a way of maintaining "Being-with-others" (Mitsein) to preserve health and social connectivity. Despite the protections of R.A. 9994, participants described the "thrownness" of encountering physical strain and systemic ageism. However, through Purposeful Resilience, they re-story these challenges to maintain a sense of identity and existential purpose. This IPA-grounded analysis illustrates that working in old age is a complex convergence of necessity and choice, where the "Self" is reconstructed against societal expectations. By making sense of these working interactions, the study challenges deficit-based views of aging, highlighting a persistent desire for an active, authentic existence that contributes to the community’s social fabric long after the traditional age of retirement.

Keywords

aging workforce; senior employment; qualitative phenomenology; work motivation; ageism

Statement of Originality

yes

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Jun 25th, 10:30 AM Jun 25th, 12:00 PM

A Lifetime of Work: Understanding the Lives of Senior Workers in the City of Baguio

This study explored the lived experiences of 17 senior workers in Baguio City, uncovering the profound meaning-making involved in labor during late adulthood. Utilizing a double hermeneutic approach, the researchers interpreted how these individuals navigated their Lifeworlds amidst a growing population of over 399,547 residents. The findings revealed that engagement in the workforce transcends mere economic necessity; it is an ontological drive for self-fulfillment and a way of maintaining "Being-with-others" (Mitsein) to preserve health and social connectivity. Despite the protections of R.A. 9994, participants described the "thrownness" of encountering physical strain and systemic ageism. However, through Purposeful Resilience, they re-story these challenges to maintain a sense of identity and existential purpose. This IPA-grounded analysis illustrates that working in old age is a complex convergence of necessity and choice, where the "Self" is reconstructed against societal expectations. By making sense of these working interactions, the study challenges deficit-based views of aging, highlighting a persistent desire for an active, authentic existence that contributes to the community’s social fabric long after the traditional age of retirement.

https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2026/BoA_LCS/2