Adulting Series #1: Paperwork and the Flu

 

As I transition to a new phase in my life, I decided to transition everything I can with it. And it's a very tiring choice haha.

The past few weeks have felt like a crash course in late-stage adulting—a strange mix of government paperwork, existential dread, and a hopeful attempt at making life more efficient.

Filing MORE Grown-Up Paperwork

So, I finally processed my additional service business for my marketing consulting/freelance work with the BIR.

I would love to say it was an empowering moment, but in reality, it was a day of waiting, printing, signing, and hoping I filled out the forms correctly. The joys of bureaucracy! But at least it’s done. I’m officially (and legally) out here offering my marketing expertise to the world—if that isn’t peak adulthood, I don’t know what is.

So what I did to add a new line of business in my COR is:

1. Went to my RDO and filled out the Update COR form and added a new line of business for services
2. I asked the BIR person at the counter if I need DTI still but she said since I'm using my name, no need for it.
3. Purchased the new booklets for this venture at the counter, worth PHP 1,500 for 10 booklets. I also bought a new set of books which are different than what I use for the online shop.
4. COR was updated after 2 hours and given to me and paid PHP 35 for the documentary stamp.

Somewhere in between filing paperwork, I decided to cash out my PAG-IBIG MP2. There’s something about seeing the money you’ve technically been saving but completely forgot about that feels like finding a PHP 500 bill in an old bag—except, you know, on a larger scale. 

While I was at it, I also got my new PAG-IBIG Loyalty Card because why not? If adulthood is about collecting IDs and government-issued plastic cards, I’m on my way to elite status.

Here are the steps I did (and how fast my PAG-IBIG branch in Fisher-Mall) on claiming my PAG-IBIG MP2 and replacing my PAG-IBIG Loyalty Card.

1. Signed up forms for Provident Claims and Update of Membership (2 forms)
2. My first Update form was for the change of number and email address of my PAG-IBIG account.
3. After the change, I went ahead and filled out a short form for the replacement of the PAG-IBIG Loyalty Card for PHP 150. Got the card immediately.
4. Submitted another Update form now with the Loyalty Card number.
5. Waited for my number to be called in for the Provident Claims counter and chose to deposit to my other account as MOP.
6. Waiting for the money..........

QC Library Review

One of my semi-wholesome attempts at changing up my work environment led me to the QC Public Library.

I don't have a QC ID yet (more on that later) so I got my QCPL ID on the same day. It was a fast process and honestly, I'm just used to taking headshots already since the start of my paperwork journey.

The library itself is cold and comfortable to stay in plus the wifi is mostly reliable. There was a restaurant at the top of the building but it was closed when I came in.

In theory, a peaceful public space where I could work sounded amazing. In practice? Google Ads was banned on their network, which made my job as a digital marketer completely impossible. I left faster than you can say "blocked content."

I still want to make this library thing work, though, so I’m setting my sights on the National Library. Fingers crossed it won’t have the same restrictions—otherwise, I might have to resort to reading books instead of working (shocking, I know).

The QC ID That Almost Was

Speaking of bureaucracy, I was supposed to process my QC ID, but it was unnecessarily confusing, and I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to deal with it. Instead, I opted for online registration because it’s 2025, and standing in line for an ID when there’s an internet-based alternative feels like a crime against efficiency.

AI and Reconnecting with Humans

With all this admin work eating up time, I started looking into AI to automate some of my tasks. If there’s a way to streamline processes and make work less manual, I’m all for it. It’s like setting up little digital assistants to handle the parts of my job I don’t enjoy. AI isn’t taking over my life (yet), but if it can make things easier, I won’t complain.

Since the start of 2025, I also reconnected with some old marketing expert friends. Something is refreshing about sharing business ideas with people who get it. We talked about strategies, growth, and the endless cycle of reinvention that comes with working in this field. It reminded me that even with all the frustrating bureaucracy and growing pains, there’s still a lot to be excited about.

The TikTok Shop Saga and The Clingy Flu

And to end on a high note—my TikTok Shop finally got approved after updating my COR. This was one of those annoyingly small but necessary hurdles that kept getting delayed. But now that it’s sorted, I can focus on, you know, actually making sales.

As a fitting conclusion to this productivity phase, life decided to throw me a curveball—I was down with the flu for four days. It was the kind of flu that made you question every decision that led to your immune system betraying you. Between alternating between sleep and staring at the ceiling, I had to put everything on pause. If there’s one thing adulting has taught me, it’s that rest is just as important as productivity.

The past few weeks have been a weird mix of progress, frustration, and the occasional bureaucratic headache. But for every annoying process, there’s always a win—a sign that things are moving forward. If this is what adulting looks like, I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.

Or at the very least, I’ve accepted that paperwork will forever be part of my life.