REPORT ON FILIPINO DOMESTIC HELPERS
IN NEW YORK
May 25, 2009
Dear Friend,
I am sending you my report
about Domestic Helpers so that you may be moved to help me in helping them.
After spending half a day with them in Queens, New York, I was told by them
that the money is not enough. Furthermore, I concluded that whatever thousands
of dollars they send to their families back home is not enough to ensure
a bright future and independence for their children and other relatives.
The $20 billion a year that OFWs send back home has not created jobs to stop
the 2,000 Filipinas and Filipinos from leaving the country everyday. The
only available jobs are cashiers and salesladies which require 4 year college
degrees. These jobs, furthermore, are contractual for only up to 6 months,
so jobs are not secure. Most of their husbands don’t work and stay home
to take care of the children they left behind.
I am writing to ask if you
can sponsor our future meetings. We need money for a one-day workshop/conference
I would like to hold in a hotel in New York. I would like to rent a meeting
room and one hotel suite for one day, plus some food. I would probably need
$500-1000. I am contributing $100 of my own money. At this meeting, the following
will be discussed:
1. Return on their investment.
I mean—if they send $1,300 a month to the Philippines, how has it improved
their lives? It seems that spending on tuition for no jobs is not a good
policy, and not wanting to eat fish and vegetables anymore is more costly,
and asking for occasional “gifts” from Mom places more burden on
her aching back. It seems that she is doomed to be a DH in the U.S. until
she is old and gray, bent with hands that cannot be unclasped. The cost of
separation, the long hours, the lack of rest, and the way the money is spent,
does not seem to be worth it if you measure the magnitude of the DH’s
sacrifices. But maybe, having your own home, no matter that you are crowded
like sardines, is still better. The concept of return on investment needs
to be further elaborated. What is the best way to spend $1300 so that you
can insure a good paying job for your kids in the Philippines (not a DH job)?
Maybe starting a micro-business is better?
2. Food Prices. Prices in
the Philippines are comparable to prices in New York. This cannot be, since
capital is cheaper in the Philippines, such as labor. It seems that Filipinos
are being over-charged for food unfairly. If pechay is P80 a kilo, which
is about $2 for 1.5 lbs, it sounds like there’s a big disconnect between
locally produced goods compared to U.S. goods. If it is P45 to $1,
shouldn’t it be a lot cheaper to buy in the Philippines? Who should
pick up the the torch on this subject? Should you pay New York prices in
the Philippines?
3. Emotional and Psychological.
What are the effects of separation from families and relatives and friends?
What are effects of underemployment, since many of them are college graduates
and are extremely intelligent and talented? What are effects of working long
hours and with multiple responsibilities?
4. Are the DHs being exploited?
Are they required to be fluent in English and have college degrees and have
work experience? Are they fully compensated for the talents they bring to
the job -- such as creativity, organization, efficiency?
These are some of the major
concerns I would like to further discuss with the Domestic Helpers. I would
like to invite them to this conference for free, since they are only left
with about $200 for themselves here after they have paid the rent for the
apartments/rooms they need.
Please let me know if you
would like to contribute and if you have any questions or concerns, please
do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your time,
and I look forward to your reply. If you know others who might want to sponsor
this project, please forward the report to them.
Sincerely,
Pauline Santos
(718) 459-2809
Mistview.santos@gmail.com
Note: Report is still subject
to review by Kabalikat Group of Domestic Helpers. Nenita, please forward
to Lorena. Thank you kindly for having me at your event and allowing me to
speak to the DH's.
ABOUT DOMESTIC HELPERS IN NEW YORK
KABALIKAT GROUP
Bayanihan Community Center
I recently met with some
DH’s (domestic helpers) at the Bayanihan Community Center in Woodside,
Queens in New York City. The group is called Kabalikat and they were having
a health fair. I volunteered in the food committee so I brought some hot
dogs and puto that I cooked myself. I had my health check (blood pressure
and measurement…I refused the blood test). I filled out the patient
form and was interviewed about my history. The tests were done very carefully
and elegantly, is how I can describe it. So kudos to the DH’s for providing
excellent health check for the day.
Anyway, with that background,
I present to you a mini-report of my discussions with the DH’s. They
agreed to let me interview them because I said I wanted to do a report. There
were about 13 DH’s in the group, and more came in later, so when I left
there were about 20-25 DH’s.
The first issue they pointed
out that was very interesting – that the women leave the country to
work, while the men stay home instead and take of the kids. In essence they
say, the husband’s role becomes twofold…that of a “nanay”
and a “tatay” (a father and a mother). (By the way, there was only
one man DH and only one young woman who was not married.) Anyway, what they
earned before on their jobs was not even enough for transportation. And
surprisingly enough, and a pleasant one at that, is that the women praised
the men… that the men did a great job of raising the kids. Someone pointed
out that children in the Philippines fear their fathers (more than their
mothers), so it’s easier to raise them and actually make them better
children. So that was good. However, the women say that the men often philander
and often find other women for companionship. The other problem they mentioned
was that men weren’t “responsible.” It turns out that women
used to handle the budget, and therefore the men who were left to take care
of the house did not handle the money matters well. In fact, they were
“irresponsible” when it came to the budget.
The number of dependents
the DH’s support always expand from her immediate family (husband and
children) to other relatives and people. The DH and her family feel obligated
to help others, since they are earning dollars. So a niece or nephew or some
other person keeps getting added to the family budget, which makes the resources
even scarcer.
The first question I asked
them was whether they earned enough money. There was a chorus of an emphatic
“No.” Then I asked how much more (amount) money did they need?
They said “lots.” Some said we hope we can win the lotto. It sounded
like they were saying that they needed so much more money, which was counter
to my perception that the DH’s made a whole lot of money.
The DH’s said, at first,
that the money they send to the family or families they support back home
was enough for them. But what’s left for their own needs here in America
is not enough. They don’t have a whole lot for themselves here. Most
DH’s they said make $500 a week or $2,000 a month. However, with an
average of 8 – 10 people to support in the Philippines, they send about
$1,300 of that $2,000 back home. What’s left, about $700 a month is
not enough.
I mentioned that I thought
that Filipino women in the U.S. are known to spend their dollars on expensive
items, like Gucci bags and perfumes. “Not us,” they chimed in.
Those are the nurses, because they make more money. We buy our bags in Chinatown.
A big expense is rent, and they pay about $400-$500 a month. So that sounds
like they’re left with only $200-300 for the rest of the month for expenses.
The DH’s said they
need more money for phone, food, socials, shopping and other personal needs.
We talked about various
expenses that they provide dollars for their families back home.
SHELTER:
RENT: Some of them rented
and it cost about P4,000 a month to rent a one-bedroom apartment. It consists
of one small bedroom and a small living room, sometimes with no separate
room for kitchen. Some have their own bathrooms, some share it with other
tenants.
OWN HOME: Many want to own
their own homes.
One woman owned a small
house and lot in Tondo, Manila which cost her $80,000 (have to double-check).
The way she described it, it was so tiny, maybe the size of a large studio
in Manhattan, or even a small studio. About 8 people whom she supports, will
fit in this house. No one in her household in the Philippines works. But
she mentioned she has a small store in front of the house,which helps them
with expenses. The people who live in her house are her husband, 3 children,
the husband and 4 children of one of her children. There is only one bathroom.
Another woman said she got
a loan through the government agency which handles the Pag-ibig Fund which
assists Filipinos in housing. Through this loan, they can acquire a house
and lot for P1.5 million. It’s a tiny house, and would probably fit
about the same as the other woman’s house. The mortgage is for 25 years,
and in dollars the total amount is about $25-30,000.
Condominiums are not affordable
since they rent or are sold at $1,000 a month.
Overcrowding is a problem
perhaps, since by the way the DHs described the dwellings – up to 10
people occupy a small space with just 1 bathroom. Most houses provided by
the Pag-Ibig fund and others offer only small houses for the money they can
afford.
FOOD:
After discussing food expenses,
we found out that prices in the Philippines are extremely high. They are
almost the same as the price of food in New York, like maybe the borough
of Queens. For example:
Pork $3.00/lb
Beef $3.20/lb
Vegetables $1.50/lb (like pechay or bakchoy)
Rice $1.70/kilo (1.6 lbs) or P1000 per sack (note: good quality rice is usually
sold outside The Philippines, so only low quality rice is avARIALbe for Filipinos
at home)
This finding was very surprising
since labor is cheap in the Philippines, and compared to New York, the standard
of living in the Philippines is far behind.
The DH’s also said
that it was better to live in the province (rural), because you usually have
a backyard where you can plant vegetables and chickens and pigs, so you
don’t have to buy your food.
I asked them what kinds
of food do their families eat? A few said just rice and vegetables, but many
said that their family members did not like that, and they always eat only
meats. There was a discussion later on, privately, about what a healthy diet
consists.
EDUCATION AND TUITION:
One woman told us what her
expenses were in school for her children. She had two children she was sending
to college. She said that she chose moderately priced schools in order to
afford the tuition. Here are her expenses:
Mass Communication Polytechnic
Univ of the Philippines P1,000 per semester (government school) ($225.00)
IT Lyceum University P25,000
per semester ($600.00)
Additional costs for “On
The Job Training” (OJT) P10,000 or $200.00
Additional costs for summer
subjects P10,000 or $200.00
This list does not include
expenses for books, school supplies, transportation, food, extra curricular,
school projects, school trips, etc.
The cost depends on the
course. Majors, such as Hotel & Restaurant Management (HRM) which is
quite popular, are very expensive and the additional costs for supplies and
internships are extremely expensive. Nursing schools also cost a lot..about
$500 a month is already considered cheap tuition. But many don’t pass
the exams after they graduate, which poses a considerable loss for the parents
in the end.
The problem with spending
for education is that the graduates wind up with no jobs, since most Filipinos
leave the country (2,000 per day) to look for jobs as DHs, seamen, construction
workers, nurses, and other jobs not related to their majors. So some found
out that after sending money every month for 4 years for education, they
realized they have no choice but to try to get their daughter in the U.S.
or other countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Europe or Russia to work
as DH’s too. So all the hard work and separation from families and dollars
they earned, was for naught.
This begs the question:
What happened to the $20 billion Filipinos overseas send to the Philippines
every year? Who benefits? Where does it go? How is the future guaranteed
for the children they support? I told the DH’s that it seemed that they
were content with just a diploma, even if there are no jobs to apply the
diploma for. And it seemed that they were content with just supporting their
dependents, without demanding anything in return from them?
Some DH’s grieved that
they have no choice, since even the job of a cashier or saleslady in a department
store requires a college degree. So of course, they have no choice but spend
for tuition in college, or if you’re lucky, you can only qualify for
a factory job…and many know how ill treated factory workers are in the
Philippines. Many of the unions are closed by the governments and many of
their leaders are murdered.
JOBS:
We already said that there
are no jobs in the Philippines and that 2,000 Filipinos, mostly women, are
sent to leave the country by the government, everyday.
I was told by a DH that
the jobs that are only available in the Philippines are usually contractual
for only 6 months. It has to be renewed every 6 months based on performance.
Many of the companies are owned by Japanese, Koreans, and Taiwanese, I was
told.
The problem, also, I said
was that at least 40% of nursing students fail the exams and therefore wind
up unemployed or underemployed.
CONCLUSIONS:
So I closed the discussion
with a question: Does your sacrifice here in the U.S. in terms of blood,
sweat ad tears, provide a brighter future for you and your family and other
people you support?
In essence, I wanted to
ask if the $20 billion remittances Filipinos send overseas every year, yield
positive results for Filipinos in the Philippines.
It seems that the $20 billion
OFWs send back home cannot solve the big economic problems, such as the creation
of a thriving businesses that create well paying jobs for Filipinos so that
2,000 Filipinos do not have to leave the country every day.
With the low standard of
education offered by public schools in the Philippines, many OFWs are compelled
to transfer their children to private schools that are expensive, now that
they are earning dollars. This creates an unexpected big increase in the
monthly budget, and is a factor in the never ending quest to find more dollars.
So if you’re budget before you got your job in the U.S. was only $200
a month, now that you have dollars, you’re monthly budget has gone up
to maybe $1,000 a month. It seems unfair that the DH has to bear this unexpected
big cost, since public schools ought to provide a decent basic education
for our children, given that the government’s budget this year along
is worth around P1.3 trillion. Furthermore, college presents a big dilemma
for the DHs because they are concerned that their children will have college
degrees. The dilemma is caused by the fact that most graduates in the Philippines
cannot find jobs, or some say are not qualified. The jobs touted by the
government that are considered well-paying, like those in call centers, are
usually given to graduates from exclusive schools or to extremely bright
graduates, because apparently they have better communication and computer
skills. So many graduates become laborers in ships, constructon workers in
Korea or the Middle East, domestic helpers, nurses and some teachers outside
the country. My point is that if your had let’s say 3 children in college,
that’s 4 years each of tuition down the drain. But many are satisfied
that at least they have diplomas. Saddly though, diplomas that are not put
to use. Teachers becomes baby sitters, doctors become nurses, etc. I feel
that women, like the DH’s and others are being cheated of their hard
earned dollars, since their investment in education which could total maybe
$50,000 for those with maybe 3 children in college, wind up in pockets of
schools that make education a profit center, rather a means to a good livelihood.
Their martyrdom is wasted.
Education is just part of
their expenses. There are other expenses, such as those for food, health,
shelter, socialization, and many more.
It seems that the $20 billion
OFWs send every year cannot yield the positive results we would normally
find in such a big investment in the country.
So where is the investment
going? Is it just being wasted? Who benefits most from the $20 billion? Are
our schools just diploma mills?
In our next meeting, we
hope to find the answers to this and find ways to communicate our grievances
about:
Food prices
Poor housing
Joblessness
Underemployment
Job security
Good salaries
Public Schools
College degree required for all jobs, even cashiers and salesladies
Leaving the country/disruption of families
Dependency on dollars from DHs and other overseas workers
Others
It would be important to
note that, as expressed accurately by the DHs, they came from extreme poverty
or at a great disadvantage before getting their jobs as DHs here in the U.S.
So before, many common items or expenses that may be considered basic, were
lacking. Then, when they got their DH jobs, they felt that they ought to
transfer their children to better schools, buy a telephone, buy better food,
etc. So they came to the U.S. and other countries, just to meet the basic
needs, not for the “extras.” So though, many of them make about
$2,000 a month, there are many mouths to feed and basic things to be met.
It’s not true that they are very well off now In terms of U.S. standards
perhaps.
Quite a few though, voiced
out their objection to DHs who “spoil” their families by sending
their children to exclusive schools like Ateneo and La Salle, while they
are breaking their backs trying to make ends meet here in the U.S. Also,
when interviewed about their families’ diets, many said that their families
won’t eat fish or vegetables, and instead spend their dollars on pork,
beef or chicken. Many also get many requests from the children to send them
certain things they want to be bought in the U.S. or at home.
Please note that there has
not been enough time to flesh out and analyze each issue reported. So there
may be unfair comments on this report. For example, in some cultures, 10
people in a small house may not be considered not good, since family closeness
and sharing with the group is highly valued. They consider this better for
many reasons, such as helping each other, intimacy and bonding, cooperation
and more.
In closing, I would like
to say that I was extremely impressed by the way the DHs communicated their
problems to me. I felt that they were honest and gave intelligent information
that would be useful in charting a course for action to help them get the
value for their dollars that they deserve. Many of them, like I said before,
hardly have enough money for their own personal expenses here in the U.S.,
since they send most of their money to the Philippines, and they still have
to pay rent even if they have a “live in” job. They still need
their own place for the weekends, and for those who are “live out”
need to go home at night to their own apartments or rooms. Though some said
they only work regular hours, I know many who work long hours with multiple
jobs. Some babysitters are expected to clean and cook as well. I know that
a DH in Dubai was expected to start at 5:30 AM and finish at 10PM with no
days off. I know some here in the U.S. who find it difficult to get days
off. Most of them don’t have health benefits. It sounded though that
they were all in good health, and were very cheerful and made a lot of funny
jokes. They health fair was of a high standard and the organizers did a great
job. They were very professional and very thorough at the job. I admire their
resilience but wonder if they hide their loneliness and despair. Hopefully,
it is not as bad.
This report is just the
tip of the iceberg. The stories coming out of the Middle East with one woman
already hanged in 2007, and as far away places as Uzbekistan where you are
so far away from home – you will shudder at their stories. They suffer
in return for what? In return for food, a diploma and roof over their head.
Instead of living in squatter areas, instead of eating only rice or only
twice a day, instead of not sending your child to school. It is not for luxury,
according to the DH’s.
Thank you.
END OF REPORT
By Pauline G. Santos
Author and Anthropologist
(718) 459-2809
Mistview.santos@gmail.com
May 24, 2009
Kabalikat Health Fair
Woodside, New York
Report on Meeting of Pauline G. Santos
and Chona J. Veluz
May 28, 2009
Afternoon
Based on dialogue at the
said meeting between Pauline and Chona, the following priorities were agreed
upon:
Business Consultancy and
Business Training and Development:
This will be for Americans
and Filipinos in the United States and in the Philippines. I believe that
in the Philippines, starting a small business is a good alternative for investing
the hard earned dollars of domestic helpers and other Filipinos overseas.
Based on the first report
about domestic helpers, DH’s send about $1300 a month to the Philippines
but do not yield positive results for the Philippines economy as a whole,
and instead creates something like a welfare system for their dependents,
since the DH is usually the only one with a job. Her husband, children and
children’s husbands don’t have jobs and depend solely on the DH’s
income for their sustenance. The DH is forced to work as a DH until she’s
old, and many times her children are also forced to be DH’s as well,
since there are no jobs for them still in the Philippines, despite the money
that the DH invested in their education until college. Therefore, there is
no end to the importation of DH’s from the Philippines, and many Filipina
women are doomed as domestic helpers forever.
Because of this finding,
and we believe that this pattern can be seen with many OFWs (Overseas Filipino
Workers) who work as construction workers, seamen, teachers and maybe those
who are nurses as well – because of this, we will encourage them to
become small time entrepreneurs and decrease their investments in education,
for now. The benefits/reason are twofold. First, businesses will provide
another source of income for her and her family, and it will create jobs
for them and other Filipinos. Second, there are at present no jobs in the
Philippines, so their children’s diplomas are unusable and the money
they paid for tuition is lost investment. So a) no need for expensive
degrees/majors, such as HRM’s or nurses. Many nursing graduates cannot
pass the U.S. or Philippine exam, and so their expensive education has become
a big money loss for their parents or supporter. B) no need for expensive
schools. Choose a cheap school, and two years is enough for now. But note
that even saleslady jobs require a 4-year degree. But assuming your child
will geared to become an entrepreneur, the college education can be minimal.
We will form a prototype
or pilot project that is small in the Philippines and in the United States
that will assist the new entrepreneur in their start-up businesses. As the
business develops, issues will arise and those will be documented and analyzed
so that the problems can be solved. This will insure better chances of success
for the business. In addition, the pilot will incorporate an educational
arm that will create awareness by informing small communities about business
issues. The people will learn important concepts, such as competition, market
saturation, budgeting, and more. This type of awareness will foster cooperation
among the citizens so that a thriving business community can be developed
within their neighborhoods.
An example of existing problem
in the Philippines can be found in the small sari-sari store.
Sari-Sari store: This is
a small convenience store that are found in front of the owner’s house
where he or she sells canned goods, candies, matches, soda, and other small
grocery items. Many people buy here since it’s just a stone’s throw
away from where they live and saves on transportation. This is a good way
of saving money, since they probably cost cheaper here than at the expensive
supermarket downtown. I knew one woman who said she started a sari-sari store
a few years ago. At the beginning, she netted about P13,000 a month, which
I thought was pretty good, since even teachers can’t get that much income
from their jobs. Teachers get paid P6000 to start and with tenure can get
up to P10,000 a month. So I though the sari-sari store woman did very well
and I was pleased. I found out though that this 13,000 pesos in profit is
considered her income and salary. She does not include her work in the store
in the budget to be paid as an employee. But later on she said, more sari-sari
stores opened in her neighborhood, perhaps because they found out about her
success. The problem is that she lost business, and now she only gets about
P6,000 a month. So if we teach communities about market saturation and other
things, this type of problem can be avoided. Cooperation is key.
The other part of the business
goal is to set up a consultancy and training for start-ups as well as existing
businesses that need to improve their sales and manage their investments
and capital. Chona has previous experience in this area since she was a partner
in a management training endeavour in the Philippines where they trained
management in leadership, human relations and other areas of business. The
thrust of their training was based on “psychological” norms.
Lastly, Chona emphasized
that DH’s need to be encouraged, and others as well, that the first
person you need to invest in is “yourself.” So, therefore, the
slogan “pay yourself first.” For example, set aside $50.00 a month
in savings which will provide yourself a cushion for a long long time.
DH INVESTMENT: Return on
Investment for Domestic Helpers (DHs)
So before I forget, regarding
the first report on domestic helpers (DH Report), three areas will be encouraged
or emphasized in Investments for DH’s:
Do not make your family
members and other relatives or friends “dependents.” In other words,
do not create a welfare system that doesn’t develop the individual.
Create a business and create
jobs.
Pay Yourself First
FOOD PRICES
I presented the problem
of high price of food in the Philippines, so much so that it is comparable
to prices in New York in the United States. Since capital in the Philippines
is cheap, such as labor, it cannot be that the prices are as high as in New
York.
Chona theorized that the
“middleman” is the one causing the prices to be high, since they
add (make patong) to the cost of the products that come directly from the
producers/growers. In fact, they decide the PRICE that currently exists in
the market. In order to solve this, Chona suggested to eliminate the middleman,
and that producers must bring their products themselves to the marketplace.
Further evaluation will determine, what disadvantages this new model may
present. I suggested that the middleman becomes salaried and hired by the
producers and market vendors. This way, the middleman has no say in deciding
the price, but merely transports the goods to the marketplace for a monthly
salary.
Talipapa: This is a place
where usually fresh fish and vegetables and other items are sold. It is called
talipapa or wet market. Chona mentioned that buying food items from the
air-conditioned supermarket maybe be “classy” and fancy, but the
food prices are not affordable. In the talipapa, though it’s not
air-conditioned and the floor may be somewhat muddy and wet, the prices are
so much cheaper and the items are much fresher. Chona said that the market
vendors from Divisoria travel all the way to Navotas where they buy the fish
directly from suppliers or fishermen. In a process of bulungan or whispering
into each other’s ears, a deal is struck which results in prices that
are affordable and good for the budget. So in the first DH report, we mentioned
the high price of food as a problem for the DH’s insufficient income.
Sari-Sari store: This is
a small convenience store that is found in front of the owner’s house
where he or she sells canned goods, candies, matches, soda, and other small
grocery items. Many people buy here since it’s just a stone’s throw
away from where they live and saves on transportation. This is a good way
of saving money, since they probably cost cheaper here than at the expensive
supermarket downtown.
Public and Government School:
TO BE DISCUSSED AT NEXT MEETING TO BE HELD ON JUNE 4, 2009, THURSDAY AT 2:30PM.
CHONA WILL INVITE ANOTHER RESOURCE PERSON OR CONSULTANT.
Submitted by: Pauline G.
Santos, Author and Anthropologist |
"For a poor
man like me, $15,000 is a lot of money," said 91-year-old Celestino Almeda.
(Worcester,
MA) The Boutiette Residence at Lambert Circle in this city, could have been
a satellite of the Philippine Museum of Art, as Lil Boutiette and Edna Chicarell
hosted a party to celebrate new additions to Lil's Philippine art collection.
Works by Antonio Calma, Ferdel Gonzales, Ponciano Braga and Ricardo Valdes
were displayed around Lil's Home Gallery, including Antonio Calma's very
popular and well liked "Luksong Tinik".
