Battle for the Housekeepers

When the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) agreed to set the minimum salaries for housekeepers bound for Saudi Arabia at One Hundred US dollars years ago, it was accused of selling our Filipina housekeepers to the foreigners. This time DOLE through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) changed its policy and set the minimum salaries of outbound housekeepers to Four Hundred US dollars. It also set the minimum age of new recruits to 23. Instead of a resounding hurray, the new policies were met with mixed reactions from various groups.

Most vocal in denouncing the new policy is the group of housekeepers working in Hong Kong, where a couple of anti-POEA rallies were held.

In the Middle East, a group of overseas Filipino community leaders already favorably endorsed the new set of policies, while others still debate the pros and cons.
But it is not only the affected housekeepers who are raising their concerns. Some receiving countries have also voiced their worries as well.

Told by the Chairman of the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Saudi Arabia about their concern on the increase in the minimum salary of housekeepers, the newly appointed Philippine Ambassador to that country, Antonio Villamor, told a group of community leaders in Riyadh what his response to the issue was.

He said he told the Saudi businessmen that, ‘we value our relationship with you, and one way to show that is to provide you with people who are well trained and mature as to be able to give you the best service you deserve. To be able to do that, we have to train our housekeepers how to do their job properly, how to operate the different household appliances they may not have seen before, as well as orient them on the language and culture of the country they are bound to.’

To my mind that partly summarizes the stand the Filipino community leaders in Riyadh has taken back in 2004. For indeed what could we expect if local recruiters back home just keep on sending housekeepers who are not only young but also lack the experience on the work required of them. Some might not even have seen a microwave or an electric oven all their life, so much so that when they arrive at their employer’s home they do not know what to do. Alone in a totally new environment, embarrassment and lost of self confidence would later cause a feeling of homesickness. And our Filipina housekeeper starts to think things she shouldn’t do – runaway.

But if allowed to leave the country only when fully trained, both on the nature of their work, and on the language and culture of their destination, our housekeepers will not only be able to perform very well, but will also enjoy the fruits of a higher income. They will be inspired to do their work in the best way possible, and they will not think of leaving their job, but love and protect it instead.

We frequently hear Middle Eastern nationals say that in their country, being able to employ a Filipina housekeeper or nanny is a status symbol. Why should we be afraid to ask for the right price for their services?