19/05/2025
âMukhang Pera ang Vet na âYan!â â But Letâs Talk Honestly, Vet to Vet
If youâve been in practice long enough, youâve probably heard it whisperedâor worse, thrown directly at you:
"Mukhang pera ang vet na 'yan!"
At first, it stings. You wonder:
Was I too strict with billing?
Should I have given more discount?
Should I feel guilty for charging what Iâm worth?
But today, letâs answer that judgmentâŚ
Not with apology, but with dignity.
Because No, Youâre Not âMukhang Pera.â
You Are Just Tired of Being Undervalued.
We are doctors.
We pay for our clinic rent, utilities, staff salaries, lab supplies, vaccines, medications, taxes, licensesâand we still need to smile even when the client demands a discount âdahil mahal ang gamot.â
We diagnose, treat, operate, and often grieve with families.
And yet, weâre the only medical professionals expected to feel guilty for charging fairly.
Passion Without Profit Is a Path to Burnout
They say: "Kung mahal mo talaga ang hayop, libre mo na lang yan."
But no one tells a heart surgeon, âKung mahal mo ang pasyente, wag ka na magpa-bayad.â
Dear vet, your love brought you hereâ
But your fees allow you to stay here.
To keep showing up.
To pay your team.
To invest in better tools.
To say yes to more rescues, strays, and public serviceâwhen you choose, not because youâre forced.
We Must Stop Apologizing for Wanting Financial Stability
Letâs normalize these two truths living side by side:
I love animals with all my heart.
I deserve to be paid well for the work I do.
Thatâs not greed.
Thatâs balance.
Thatâs being a vet and being human.
Letâs Change the NarrativeâStarting Within Our Own Community
The next time someone calls you âmukhang pera,â smile and say:
âYes, because this face has earned every cent through knowledge, compassion, and hard work.â
And if youâre ever tempted to judge a fellow vet for their pricingâpause.
Support them.
Uplift them.
Because when vets are financially stable, the whole profession thrives.
So, to every vet reading this:
Charge fairly.
Serve excellently.
Give when you can.
And never let anyone shame you for knowing your worth.
We didnât choose this profession to be rich.
But we also didnât choose it to be poor, burned out, or broken.
We chose it because we wanted to healâ
and we deserve to thrive while doing so.
