MANILA, Philippines — Tales of budget cuts, confusion and a warped sense of optimism colored the last days of employees who were axed by Shopee Philippines in a spate of layoffs in the country. “We had no idea,” was a familiar retort among former employees of Shopee. The company’s move to slash its workforce in the country, alongside its parent’s actions to cut back on its labor force around the globe in past months after a dismal second-quarter performance, came swift for many of its Filipino employees. In the days leading up to the decision, former employees interviewed by Philstar.com said …