Household Mother to Breadwinner Maid

Migrant Filipina women are employed as domestic workers in over 130 million cities across the globe. In fact, maids have joined the list of the Philippines’ top exports along with electronic equipment, machines, engines, and pumps. Countries with great economic power such as China, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have taken on many Filipino Maids. Exportation of manpower started with President Ferdinand Marcos (1965-1986) during an economic crisis in the Philippines. Since then, there has been an increasing number of overseas Filipino workers, mainly women7. These foreign workers commonly serve as housekeepers and nannies for the children of wealthy families. In this article, we will discuss the reasons why Filipino women take on these domestic worker positions, and the effects of doing so.

The fundamental reason Filipinas take on such domestic roles outside of their country lies with the bad economy of the Philippines. These workers earn approximately two times the amount working in developed countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada than in their home country. They send their earnings back home to their families in hopes of sending their children to school or taking care of elderly and sick family members. The monthly wage of a live-in helper or nanny is about $480 USD in Hong Kong and about $400 USD in the UAE. Going abroad as a domestic worker also increases a Filipina woman’s chance for social mobility. By obtaining an international marriage, one could potentially gain citizenship and bring back a steady source of income to the Philippines.

Although Filipina women go abroad in search of better opportunities, many of them face hardships abroad. Abuse and exploitation of these maids are common problems that have occurred with extreme cases leading to grievous bodily harm and hospitalization. Upon arrival, employers often confiscate passports and confine them to their homes. Many are subjected to forced labor and are not given adequate sleeping quarters or provisions. Sexual abuse, delayed or no pay, and overworking are common situations they face. In some countries, there are no official agencies that workers can go to to address these issues. Police and recruitment offices often encourage workers to return to their employers. Many employers also consider reporting abuse a breach of contract and threaten them with legal consequences. Most workers cannot afford to complete the lengthy process of a trial, and flee back to their home country without getting paid2. Unfortunately, the Philippines government’s infrastructure does not have the capability to support the human rights of its migrant workers, resulting in countless unresolved cases of abuse and exploitation of domestic helpers.

The Philippines Overseas Employment Administration has established laws to protect their domestic workers such as minimum wage and age, required days off, and other benefits. However, this was met with protest from employers and a boycotting of Filipino workers in favor of Indonesian or Indian domestic helpers. Due to such laws, the percentage of Filipino maids recruited in the Middle East has steadily declined in the past few years. In Hong Kong, some employers have called for the embargo on Chinese maids to be lifted in protest of minimum wages for Philippine and Indonesian workers7. Through these laws, the Philippines government hopes to gradually reduce the export of domestic helpers.

Migrant workers can also affect issues in their home countries. Due to the new gender roles found in Filipino society, men are now taking on the domestic roles at home. However, the problem is that these men will use the money that their wives are sending back home for gambling and alcohol. Another issue is the fear of infidelity that may occur while the wife is abroad working. While many women are abroad for work, the children are usually left with family members or hired help who take on the role of raising these children. As a result, these migrant women feel disconnected from their own children and express dissatisfaction when their children will not contact them. Children of migrant mothers believe themselves to be abandoned, thus have no desire in maintaining a relationship with their mothers. These migrant women who go abroad take on huge financial stress and emotional strain.

The Philippines, and other countries with service workers as exports, have begun to recognize these problems associated with foreign domestic work. The number of women leaving their country for work as a domestic helper has reduced since information of the abuse and exploitation these women endure became public knowledge. Governments and humanitarian groups have created guidelines and laws to protect foreign domestic workers. Slowly but surely, changes are being made to improve the life and conditions of domestic workers.

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