Friday, January 30, 2009

Domestic Helpers from the Philippines: A New Breed of Superheroes

By Alice Sy

There is no question to the capacity of domestic helpers from the Philippines. They have earned both a source of living and the admiration of a lot of people around the world. Through their resilience, dedication to duty, and loyalty to their employers, they were able to give a better life to their families.

Domestic helpers are famous for their being good workers. Dedicated and loyal, it is not uncommon for wealthy families abroad to hire Filipino maids. In fact, many foreigners would rather prefer Filipina maids to maids from other nationalities because Filipina maids can come up with work that is of higher quality. They seem to be tireless and to never run out of energy. They are versatile workers, too. They can work from sun up to sun down, doing a variety of chores, such as cooking, babysitting, housekeeping, caregiving, and the like.

Considering the high cost of almost everything, a domestic helper will never survive with such a low salary. For this reason, they are seeking opportunities outside the Philippines, even if it means leaving the great loves of their life.

But what pushes a Filipina from leaving her country and working abroad? To think of leaving your country and serve strangers in other countries is martyrdom. To abandon your family and not seeing your children grow is very sad. But they have an option. Most domestic helpers from the Philippines are sole breadwinners of their families. And to stay working abroad ensures their family of stability, at least in financial terms.

One thing that gives a Filipina the edge against other nationalities is the quality work that no one else could parallel. They never do second rate work that is why they are among the highest paid servants abroad. They are also treasured by their employees.

Abroad, domestic helpers considerably earn so much more than if they simply worked in their native country. In the Philippines, a beginner is likely to receive a monthly salary of just $20.00, while the more experienced ones are bound to receive roughly between $30.00 and $40.00 a month only.

It is not surprising, therefore, that domestic helpers would rather choose to take on jobs away from home, even if that meant leaving their loved ones behind for a long time.

These Filipina domestic helpers are wanted, too, and desired of in France and Italy. In Greece, it is almost an indication of wealth to be able to hire a Filipina maid.

About the Author:

No comments: