There are about 100,000 domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Their main job description is to do the household task. They worked 16 hours a day or more depends upon who are they’re employer. Most of them we’re given only one day off (mostly Sunday). Since most of them don't have relatives and family to visit during the weekends most of them practically go to the Central Park District and they converse there. They bring foods and the stuff that they want to send to their family back to the Philippines. The usual practice in Hongkong is that one person brings “adobo” and the other brings rice, and many to mention to share. There's always a comfort to see your old friends for living in foreign land makes you feel good and comfortable if you are being around with the person whom you shared the same values and custom.
I have a friend; she left her managerial position in Philippines to work in Hong Kong as house helper and a caregiver just to earn a big amount. She thought she could earn double. Aside from doing daily household chores she took care of a 12 years old special child. This child had a very complicated behavior and liked it much if he could hurt physically. He often slaps my friend, to hard to be with. Unfortunately she landed in the hands of strict employer. The employer, let her wash huge blankets using bare hands, imagine how stressful it is? The worst, she suspected that all corners of the house have built-in cameras and she really able to prove it. She was so careful with her moves specially in taking care with the child. Until such time she could no longer take what was happening. She left Hong Kong, went back to Philippines with no savings at all!
The skyline of Dubai grows a little higher. The city spreads a little further and get more awful richer. But behind this wealth there is an army of low paid workers making it all happened. Among them are the household staffs --- the women that clean, cooked, washed, nannies for some of the United Arab Emirates wealthiest people. They worked behind closed doors and rarely seen. Often many of them are being abused by their employers. There are stories of excessive working hours and their passport are being held or confiscated by their employer(s). Not to mention the more common physical abused. The Filipino embassy takes everyday a run- away maid wherein most of them are bitten black and blue by their female employer and most of them don't want to tell nor share their experienced to their family back home in the Philippines for they don't want their family to worry. The telephone of our embassy in Dubai rang 24/7 wherein common problems are that Filipino domestic workers asking for advised or counseling. The law say's there must be a legal contract between the employers and the household staff citing out the pay, terms and condition but it was ignored by the employers. In this city, they want to dream big but the smallest were living the nightmare.
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