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The lonely life of the Philippine domestic worker

Church has programs for Filipino workers abroad, but help for maids in the country is another matter
The lonely life of the Philippine domestic worker

Domestic workers in the Philippines are supposed to receive a minimum monthly salary of about US$54. (Photo by Pat Nabong)

Published: October 26, 2015 05:33 AM GMT
Updated: October 25, 2015 10:28 PM GMT

It's another ordinary day for Michelle. She wakes up at 4 a.m. to start her routine. She sips a cup of hot coffee as she prepares the family's breakfast. She makes sure the children's school uniforms are ready in the car before waking up her employers.

Michelle is a domestic worker — a maid. She does all the household chores, from cleaning the house to cooking the food. Even after her employers leave for school and work, Michelle continues her labor.

"I have been doing this since I was 16," she says, adding that she used to receive 1,500 pesos (about US$32) as a monthly salary. "I have no choice but to make ends meet."

Now, she earns more than double her original salary. Still, it doesn’t add up to much.

"What I receive now is more than twice than what I got when I started, but I must admit it is still not enough to cover all expenses. I am just fortunate that I don't have kids or a husband," she says.

Michelle sends money to her family back in her home province of Cebu in the central Philippines. She has worked for her present employer for eight years already.

"I consider them as my family," she says.

Michelle dedicated her youth to serving other people. She started working after graduating from high school. She knows no other place but the house of her employers, the market, and some other places her employers tell her to go.

She knows no one but the family she works for. She’s had no time for a relationship, but gives advice to her employer's daughter about love. "I never experienced having a boyfriend because it will only distract me from work," Michelle says.

"Come to think of it, how can I entertain suitors if I am always inside this house working. I gave up the possibility of having my own family a long time ago," she says.

"I accepted this kind of life. I don't know anything but this job, and I think I will grow old as a household worker," Michelle says.

She sees herself like a nun. "The only difference is I am not in a convent," she says. "Like a nun, I chose not to be married. I am confined in a place where I perform my job. But I am glad and proud because domestic work is a decent job," she adds.

 A domestic worker takes time to read in between work. (Photo by Pat Nabong)

 

Care for domestic workers

There are about 1.99 million Filipino women who are domestic workers in the Philippines, according to the Federation of Free Workers.

"These workers need to be looked after by the government," says Julius Cainglet, vice president of the workers' organization. He said "social protection" for domestic workers in the Philippines needs to be reviewed.

Even the Catholic Church seems to be lacking in its efforts with domestic workers in the country.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos admits that the church has no specific program for domestic workers, even though it has an active apostolate for Filipino workers abroad.

"Only a few of us have integration on the issue of local domestic workers even in our homilies," says the bishop.

"I think it is about time to take a specific look at their situation," Bishop Alminaza says.

The Philippine government has been trying to provide basic social services — like health and security services — to domestic workers, "but we must make sure that everybody is covered," says Cainglet.

"The public must understand that domestic workers are not slaves or servants. They are decent workers and must not be treated as second-class citizens," he says.

A law has been passed by the Philippines Congress setting the minimum wage for domestic workers in the country at 2,500 pesos (about US$54) a month.

Agnes Matienzo of Migrant Forum in Asia, a Manila-based advocacy group, says the minimum wage is "still not sufficient."

"It is the lowest minimum wage in the country today. We believe that the minimum wage for local household workers must be 4,500 pesos (about US$100) per month," Matienzo says.

On Oct. 7, Filipino domestic workers marked the "World Day for Decent Work" with calls to strengthen the rights of Filipino migrants and local domestic workers.

"We want to constantly remind the public that domestic work, whether local or abroad, is decent work," says Maya Montenegro, a 33-year-old native of Bukidnon province who has been a domestic worker since she was 12 years old.

Montenegro is one of the founding members of the United Domestic Workers of the Philippines, an organization that lobbies for reasonable compensation and social protection for domestic workers.

 

Social media campaign

On Oct. 7, the Migrant Forum in Asia and the Philippine Decent Work for Domestic Workers Technical Working Group launched the social media hashtag "#OurHands" in an effort to build a community of domestic workers online.

William Gois, coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia, says the social media campaign aims to inform domestic workers of their rights as enshrined in the International Labor Organization's Convention on Domestic Workers.

Only 22 countries have ratified the convention since it was adopted in 2011.

The Philippines is the only country in Asia that made its formal commitment to ratify the convention. In January 2013, President Benigno Aquino signed a law instituting policies for the protection and welfare of domestic workers.

The law, which took effect in June that year, aims to protect the rights of domestic workers and mandates employers to pay a minimum wage of at least 2,500 pesos, an extra month's pay in cash, health and social security benefits, and allow them a daily rest period of 8 hours, as well as one day off a week.

"There are gaps, and we recognize that, but at least the law already exists," says Montenegro.

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