Goodbye Philippines, Hello Makati: the TikTok Trend Turning Office Workers Into 'OFWs’
They speak Makatinese and earn Makati dollars (MKD).
by Zoe Andin
Published on Aug 31, 2026
(SPOT.ph) For decades, the overseas Filipino worker or OFW has been heralded as the “bagong bayani” for the sacrifice of pursuing greener pastures and work opportunities away from the motherland to provide for loved ones. Well, over the past few weeks, TikTok has exploded with a new kind of OFW—the onsite Filipino worker, who treats reporting for work in Makati like moving abroad.
“Onsite Filipino worker” (also called “overworked Filipino workers” by some users) videos feature employees creating funny skits and scenarios about their daily lives in the corporate districts of the metro, often set to Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind.”
The trend has since grown beyond office TikTok, with the Department of Tourism and One Ayala joining in on the fun.
“No visa, no problem,” Tourism Philippines wrote as it used the trend to promote Makati attractions, from dining spots in Rockwell Center and gallery hopping along Chino Roces Avenue to staycation destinations in the heart of the city.
Meanwhile, One Ayala shared a weather and traffic update from the “United States of Makati” on August 26.
How Makati became another country
One of the earliest videos of the “OFW” trend came from TikTok user nickxploration in July when he shared a day in his life working at a corporate office, captioned “Umalis ng Pilipinas para mag-work sa Makati” and “As an OFW in Makati.”
In another video that garnered over 231,000 views, nickxploration shares one of his go-to lunch spots in Basement 2 of Glorietta 4 where customers can get a full meal for 95 “Makati dollars” (MKD, aka regular Philippine pesos earned at one’s Makati job).
Soon, the trend took off, with more people posting about their daily lives in Makati. Commenters joined in, sharing everything from Jollyjeep recommendations to pseudo-sentimental lines about homesickness.
Even getting to Makati has become part of the fantasy. After all, what's Makati without the commute? Some users have taken to calling the trip a flight into the city or referring to the massive Glorietta mall as “Glorietta Airport.”
And the OFW cinematic universe is already expanding, with users making similar posts about Ortigas and Clark.
Whether you’re in Farview earning that MKD, a visa-free visitor to the Republic of Ortigas, or simply someone from the province who’s turned into a BGCitizen, a little coping fantasy never hurt anybody.
Also read: This Hidden Library in Makati Lets You Stay and Read Books for Free
Zoe thinks a lot but forgets just as much. Writing helps her deal with both problems. When she isn't writing, she spends time baking sweets, wandering around, or staring up at the moon.