Story from Manila Times about Cory's gift to OFWs and 'crazy maids'???

[SnME 3]

Here is a link to the entire story that I was reading today in the Manila Times:

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/a...090806opi2.html

This is a story about the effort that President Aquino made to help stranded, mistreated or abused OFWs have a 'safe' place to go if in need... Great story about Cory and the way she stood up to help OFWs

Here is an excerpt that surprised me:

"I was then the labor attaché to Singapore. When I learned that President Aquino was set to make state visits—first to Indonesia and then to Singapore—I got in touch with the office of my boss, then Labor Secretary Augusto Sanchez.

I said that if the President were to come to Singapore, it would be appreciated if she could bring a “pabaon” of sorts for an estimated 20,000 OFWs working in the city-state at the time. I recommended the establishment of a welfare home for runaway maids and stranded victims of illegal recruitment in need of temporary shelter.

It was my sad experience that every time a maid ran away from her employer, it became my duty to bring her to my home because there was no other place for her to stay. It became the practice of employers to bring their maids to the Philippine Embassy for not being able to work because of homesickness or for showing signs of losing their mind.

On one occasion, I brought home three maids whose employers had taken them to the embassy for showing “strange behavior” or mental disorder. At night, I asked them to sleep in the sala where they had to share a big mat.

One night, at about 2 a. m., I was rudely awakened by the screams of one of my “guests.” I went out of my room to find out what the matter was. The girl complained that one of her companions had tried to strangle her.

I had to bring maids with serious mental ailments to the Singapore mental hospital for treatment. I sent them back to the Philippines when they got well.

I felt that a welfare center in the embassy was an urgent need. I told my home office the problem of runaway maids and stranded workers was a serious one, seeing some of them spending the night at Singapore’s open parks. " end of quote...

My girl happens to be a housekeeper and a cook. She has been doing this for about 3 years now in Manila so she can support her family in Cebu. As of right now, I am SURE that her cheese is FIRMLY planted on her cracker. My girl is not 'crazy'...

Not nearly as 'crazy' as me but I guess i will have to keep my eye on her for any 'signs'...

The story was not 'funny' because I am sure that some of the OFWs really are mistreated and need a place to go for shelter. The thing that struck me was how he seemed to single out 'maids' when talking about the OFWs with problems.

My honey has been away from her family for a while now and seems to handle homesickness well. I often wonder how she will handle 8600 miles of distance though...

I guess I need to be saving for LOTS of phone bills and occasional plane tickets!

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Here is a link to the entire story that I was reading today in the Manila Times:

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/a...090806opi2.html

This is a story about the effort that President Aquino made to help stranded, mistreated or abused OFWs have a 'safe' place to go if in need... Great story about Cory and the way she stood up to help OFWs

Here is an excerpt that surprised me:

"I was then the labor attaché to Singapore. When I learned that President Aquino was set to make state visits—first to Indonesia and then to Singapore—I got in touch with the office of my boss, then Labor Secretary Augusto Sanchez.

I said that if the President were to come to Singapore, it would be appreciated if she could bring a “pabaon” of sorts for an estimated 20,000 OFWs working in the city-state at the time. I recommended the establishment of a welfare home for runaway maids and stranded victims of illegal recruitment in need of temporary shelter.

It was my sad experience that every time a maid ran away from her employer, it became my duty to bring her to my home because there was no other place for her to stay. It became the practice of employers to bring their maids to the Philippine Embassy for not being able to work because of homesickness or for showing signs of losing their mind.

On one occasion, I brought home three maids whose employers had taken them to the embassy for showing “strange behavior” or mental disorder. At night, I asked them to sleep in the sala where they had to share a big mat.

One night, at about 2 a. m., I was rudely awakened by the screams of one of my “guests.” I went out of my room to find out what the matter was. The girl complained that one of her companions had tried to strangle her.

I had to bring maids with serious mental ailments to the Singapore mental hospital for treatment. I sent them back to the Philippines when they got well.

I felt that a welfare center in the embassy was an urgent need. I told my home office the problem of runaway maids and stranded workers was a serious one, seeing some of them spending the night at Singapore’s open parks. " end of quote...

My girl happens to be a housekeeper and a cook. She has been doing this for about 3 years now in Manila so she can support her family in Cebu. As of right now, I am SURE that her cheese is FIRMLY planted on her cracker. My girl is not 'crazy'...

Not nearly as 'crazy' as me but I guess i will have to keep my eye on her for any 'signs'...

The story was not 'funny' because I am sure that some of the OFWs really are mistreated and need a place to go for shelter. The thing that struck me was how he seemed to single out 'maids' when talking about the OFWs with problems.

My honey has been away from her family for a while now and seems to handle homesickness well. I often wonder how she will handle 8600 miles of distance though...

I guess I need to be saving for LOTS of phone bills and occasional plane tickets!

Your girl is not crazy indeed. It's because Filipinos are the Mexicans in the Asian world. In Taiwan and even in Japan, they treat the Pinoys there like Americans treat the Mexicans here, having them do all the work no one else wants to do. In Singapore it's worse with the way they treat domestic helpers. They are so mean to them. But the Filipino workers in the Middle East, it's the worsts. Sometimes the husband rapes the filipina domestic helper and she cannot do anything about it without being called the criminal herself.

[Passing.star 0]

I myself was an OFW but glad to say that I havea caucasian employers who treated like a friend to them so my duty doesn't evolve around the house most of the time. Weather, Singaporean, Maly, caucasian, or other nationalitites there are really evil everywhere. Some of the maids in Singapore doesn't even want a Filipino employer because they know how they treat their maid, it's like they're in their own country, if you get what I mean!

[SnME 3]

Thanks for the replies ladies. I understand that story a lot better now.

I was well aware of how poorly women in general are treated in the middle east (Saudi Arabia comes to mind) but I was not aware that that sort of stuff was so widespread throughout Asia.

Hey Rocky! I see what you are saying about how they are treated but seriously!!! Filipinas are WAY better than Mexicans!

My honey can speak, read, and write Tagalog, Cebuano, and English... Most of the Mexicans around here have absolutely NO desire to even try to learn basic english and then get upset if they are not understood! I am just sayin...

[DEDixon 39]

Your girl is not crazy indeed. It's because Filipinos are the Mexicans in the Asian world. In Taiwan and even in Japan, they treat the Pinoys there like Americans treat the Mexicans here, having them do all the work no one else wants to do. In Singapore it's worse with the way they treat domestic helpers. They are so mean to them. But the Filipino workers in the Middle East, it's the worsts. Sometimes the husband rapes the filipina domestic helper and she cannot do anything about it without being called the criminal herself.

Yeah, we are bad for the way we treat Mexicans... they can stop coming to the USA anytime they like if they don't like the treatment. They can also stay, learn English and do quite well even as illegals if they want to avoid the horrible treatment.

"mossycouple" is quite right, there are bad and good people everywhere. To say the USA is a bad host country to Mexicans is outrageous.

They play the game, I know many Mexicans, but one in particular uses a US citizen's SSN so he can buy a house - but - he uses his real self, a lowly, poor, unfortunate Mexican to get the free health care, his wife just had US Citizen baby number 3, this one premature and had to be hospitalized for 2 months on part of my tax dollars and they qualify for WIC (free milk for baby) and they'll send all three kids to school and on my tax dollar.

They can also loot any food pantry they desire.

Try being illegally in Mexico!

Also, most countries do not extend citizenship simply due to being born in that country. Many wealth people around the world come to America just to download there kid here. I work with an East Indian, his wife was able to download 2 babies here, but with her twins, complications quickly took over so she couldn't fly and so 2 babies with citizenship and 2 without. The guy I work with isn't a GC holder, but instead an H-1 visa holder and his wife only has a tourist visa, but they wanted all their babies born here.

[GregwedsAngel 0]

This post caught my interest very profoundly. The domestic helpers that had gone "crazy" have been caused mainly by the strenuating circumstance of physical and psychological abuse within the confines of their employers' homes. I have lived in Singapore for 3 years while finishing my pediatric oncology training. I lived in Dover, where the National University of Singapore is situated. During my training, here is what happens on a daily basis, at the Emergency Unit where Melissa, my best friend, had her training as well. One or two Filipino domestic helpers are admitted to the EU within a 24 hour period because of: lack of food (a week), rape, battery, continual maltreatment and locked up for weeks on end inside the apartment units of their employers. We had been constantly notifying the Philippine Consulate in Singapore and to their best, given assistance immediately.

The worst employers are the Singaporeans themselves, followed by the Chinese, Indians, Arabs and Malaysians who are permanent residents in Singapore. It has been a sad discovery for me to know that some domestic helpers are forced to eat only once in every two days, some even once in every 4 days, with minimal time to go out. Their passports taken and hidden from them.

And this is not happening in Singapore alone. It is happening all over the world.

What is perplexing for me? They continue, after getting better, to work for the same employer, if not seek for another yet with the same character. Only for money. Is this worth it? Is it really worth the abuse and the acceptance of degradation of personhood? For the family in the Philippines whose members do not even know what is happening to their mother, aunt, sister, friend?

[maritoni 3]

The issue of domestic worker abuse remains a prevalent occurrence in Singapore today, as is visible in Singaporean media. However, many cases handled by embassies or organizations are not often publicized in the media, so the number of abuse cases published in the news is not a clear indication of the actual number of occurrences in Singapore... Although a hotline is available for domestic workers to state their complaints to their respective embassies, many cases go unreported. This is because many domestic workers, especially undocumented ones, fear the consequences of reporting to the government. Rather than coming into Singapore through an accredited agency, a large number of domestic workers arrive in Singapore with tourist visas or through illegal recruiters. Under these circumstances, reporting an incidence of abuse may cost them their job..

In addition, many serious abuse cases which are actually reported are dismissed due to the lack of evidence and witnesses which prove the occurrence of abuse. In most abuse cases, the only witnesses present are the plaintiff and the defendant or the defendant’s family who may not testify against their family member. Embassies may document the number of cases of physical abuse, but do not count cases handled by the police.

Because of these reasons, exact statistics are difficult to obtain.Abuses include but are not excluded to food deprivation, long working hours with inadequate rest, unpaid wages, forced prolonged solitary confinement in an employer’s home, verbal, physical and sexual abuse.

A number of domestic workers are abused by the agents themselves, whose abuses include the confiscation of personal belongings such as passports, illegal or dangerous job assignments, the refusal to remove domestic workers from abusive employers, and the charging of exorbitant recruitment fees..I also used to work in HK and employers are way lot better than singaporean chinese..

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

I don't understand this. I made an off hand comment in jest about a user's former username and I get a warning from Kathryn41 and my post was made invisible. But this post by Donna A obviously insulting to all Filipinas is left alone. What gives?

[maritoni 3]

I don't understand this. I made an off hand comment in jest about a user's former username and I get a warning from Kathryn41 and my post was made invisible. But this post by Donna A obviously insulting to all Filipinas is left alone. What gives?

Just another ignorant giving negative comments against filipina women..at least we Filipina women valuest raditions, family oriented, and who WILL NOT SCREW AROUND with every tom, #######, and harry.

Edited August 9, 2009 by maritoni

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

I don't understand this. I made an off hand comment in jest about a user's former username and I get a warning from Kathryn41 and my post was made invisible. But this post by Donna A obviously insulting to all Filipinas is left alone. What gives?

Just another ignorant giving negative comments against filipina women..at least we Filipina women valuest raditions, family oriented, and who WILL NOT SCREW AROUND with every tom, #######, and harry.

Yup. Just another Miss smart pants and Miss know-it-all. We don't need dat. Tama ba ako Mary Jane?

[maritoni 3]

I don't understand this. I made an off hand comment in jest about a user's former username and I get a warning from Kathryn41 and my post was made invisible. But this post by Donna A obviously insulting to all Filipinas is left alone. What gives?

Just another ignorant giving negative comments against filipina women..at least we Filipina women valuest raditions, family oriented, and who WILL NOT SCREW AROUND with every tom, #######, and harry.

Yup. Just another Miss smart pants and Miss know-it-all. We don't need dat. Tama ba ako Mary Jane?

Korek Marie

[muñequita linda 0]

I don't understand this. I made an off hand comment in jest about a user's former username and I get a warning from Kathryn41 and my post was made invisible. But this post by Donna A obviously insulting to all Filipinas is left alone. What gives?

Don't you realize that lots of morons and nincompoops exist here on VJ?

[maritoni 3]

I don't understand this. I made an off hand comment in jest about a user's former username and I get a warning from Kathryn41 and my post was made invisible. But this post by Donna A obviously insulting to all Filipinas is left alone. What gives?

Don't you realize that lots of morons and nincompoops exist here on VJ?

bunches of 'em Linda

[DEDixon 39]

Well ladies, I married a Filipina so I'm surely not anti-filipina, that is for sure.

But, you know, perceptions, both good and bad, aren't born overnight. There is usually some truth to anything that grows into a perception. Case in point, a good perception: Asian Americans are smart and do well in school. No one argues with that perception because it would be ridiculous. There are enough Asian Americans (Chinese and Koreans mostly) not only being admitted into college, but doing extremely well in college.

There must be a good number of Filipinas doing "whatever" for Donna to write such a post. Filipinas who are out there on the world stage will need to clean up their act to change the perception.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Well ladies, I married a Filipina so I'm surely not anti-filipina, that is for sure.

But, you know, perceptions, both good and bad, aren't born overnight. There is usually some truth to anything that grows into a perception. Case in point, a good perception: Asian Americans are smart and do well in school. No one argues with that perception because it would be ridiculous. There are enough Asian Americans (Chinese and Koreans mostly) not only being admitted into college, but doing extremely well in college.

There must be a good number of Filipinas doing "whatever" for Donna to write such a post. Filipinas who are out there on the world stage will need to clean up their act to change the perception.

Nope. It was just a mean post that should have been removed when the wife reported it. I am surprised that the mods did not intervene. But, the genie is out of the bottle now.

Raping your housekeeper, and then paying her hush money does not make the rape go away. Rape is still a violation of basic human rights. I thought we got past this mentality of blaming the victim for going along with predatory behaviour? Evidently not in much of the world, if the news stories are any indication, especially in the Middle East.

No means no, and it's still rape, even if you throw money at her as you walk out the door.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Mister_Bill