Filipina's Challenge in Hongkong

Photo Credit : filipino-tv.info

How much do you love and care your family ?

What are you willing to give up in exchange of family survival?

How brave are you  to face life's adversity alone ?

3,740 Hongkong dollars = 18 plus hours of work + one day per week day off + meager food + loneliness + abuse

Photo credit : crossed-flag-pins.com

According to the latest statistics , there are roughly 140,000 Filipinos working in Hongkong and most are Filipina working as domestic helpers. This data dropped a bit ranking Philippines on the 2nd spot after Indonesia . There are a small percentage of Thais and Nepalese working here.

Do Filipino need to rejoice because the figure has  dropped recently?

Would that be a positive indication that Philippines economy is in a good shape ?

I don't think so as  there are variety of reasons why  numbers of Filipina domestic helpers has dropped  recently.

1. Language Barrier

Employers preferred to hire Indonesians because majority  of them are good in speaking  Cantonese ( The Indonesian employment agencies enhance their language training program  to applicants . Every applicant must at least be trained in Cantonese speaking for 7 months prior to deployment  to Hongkong). Filipinos on the other hand have limited Cantonese knowledge  ( applicants were trained for 3 days only prior to departure ) and use English as the medium of communication . Elderly employers who are unable  to speak English will more likely hire Indonesians.


2. Rights


Filipino domestic helpers are known for being outspoken  and knows how and when to exercise their rights. Hongkong justice system is quite fair to all individual regardless of ethnicity ( impressive ), social  and educational status. Most Filipinas when feel being abused ( verbally, emotionally , both and worst physically ) and rights are somewhat violated with valid proof will immediately seek assistance from the authority and non -government agencies . Filipina domestic helper also sometimes challenge positively when she knows clearly that she is right and employer is wrong  ( very rare that  employer will recognize and admit such mistake though ). Most Indonesians however, will bear the abused and wait until their contracts are terminated or they will be untimely terminated . Employment agencies too play a vital role in this situation , they indirectly inject wrong information to the workers which sometimes leads  to be no other options .


3. One - Year - Plan

Filipina workers used Hongkong as a training ground , a stepping stone to work in Europe , Canada or any advanced  country that promises more compare to Hongkong.The application process here is relatively short compare to the Philippines and a lot cheaper. Some Filipinas , have their mind set to work for one year and eventually break the contract . While working for that one year plan, they are secretly processing their application papers during their holidays.


4. Placement Fee / Processing Fee


The huge placement fee /processing fee/ agency fee makes one Filipina applicant shiver. 90,000 pesos to 95,000 pesos ( no issuance of receipts ) is now the current placement fee/processing fee excluding the medical fees, training fees and other related expenses which most likely , one worker will spend more or less 140,000 pesos for a 2-year contract. With a salary of 3,740 Hongkong dollars , it would take around 7 months to cover all the expenses. This huge expenditures drive other applicants to work in the Middle East ( though dangerous ) , Singapore and Malaysia instead of Hongkong .

The employment agencies both in the Philippines and Hongkong will share the  7 months hard-earned money of the worker.

The government is  having  that double blind fold not to see this long time problem of OFW ( Overseas Filipino Worker ) and ears are securely covered not to hear the cries of the workers .

Modern Day Heroes

Photo source : philippine-trivia.com

Overseas Filipino Workers are considered to be the modern day heroes in the Philippines because of  billions of remittances they are able to contribute annually thus, making the Philippines economy at least steady. With millions of Filipino workers around the globe and mostly are women, indeed, they are the heroines  to every home. Gone are those days where women are supposed to be the care takers of every home ,excellent  cook to every  delicious food being served, shared and enjoy by the family , a hands-on mothers who are patiently staying up late and still an energetic women when  morning comes , preparing breakfast and needs of children and husband ( typical Filipina housewife duty ).



Various reasons why Filipina needs to work abroad leaving her family behind . When one  asks a single Filipina on why she decided to work abroad, she'll probably will not give you a single reason but enumerates several of them.

Married Filipina

a) The rapid growth  of househusband and seems to be now an  acceptable status  in the society tends the wife to step up , leaving  the Philippines , bears the loneliness and ready to serve other foreign families for the sake of her family to survive.


b) Probably one or two of her children are in college or university and the tuition fee and other school related expenses are too high to cope if only her husband is the one working  and receiving   meager salary , hence, a wife must helps her husband  by working abroad to finance their children's  education.

c) Sometimes, even a married Filipina is still expected to helps her parents or younger siblings who are in dire need or during emergencies ( hospital bills, sickly parent or sibling's education ) and need to work abroad .

Single Filipina

a) An elderly or health failing parent that need constant doctor's visit and with prescribed daily medications  ( In the Philippines, majority of the Filipinos have no health insurance. Doctor's consultation fee and medicines are expensive )

b) She is an ate ( older sister ) and a bread winner . It is her responsibility  ( in Filipino culture ) to send her younger siblings to school to get  higher education . This is sad sometimes because there are cases that an "ate" is being abused. Younger siblings got married after graduation or haven't finished their studies while "ate " stays single and works for decades in Hongkong to sustain their needs . Unfortunately, to make some matter worst, "ate"'s duty will never stop once her siblings got married , it will continue and eventually nieces and nephews are her responsibility too. "Ate" forgets that she has herself to mind too , she dedicates all her time, energy and life to her family , while this behavior is plausible , it also deprives the happiness of one sibling . To extend help we must help our selves first , but this never happen to many single OFW here.


c) The tight competition of a limited job in the Philippines drives many Filipina to work abroad as a domestic helper. Philippines is currently over 94 million in population and there are no adequate job to every Filipino . in one particular job vacancy, hundreds are flocking to apply. Employers then will set a high standard of qualifications  because of  many applicants .Age , height and pleasing personality ( the misconception of pleasing personality sometimes  is that , an applicant is fair in complexion and not overweight)  are a must  aside from educational background and job experiences even the job is not of a modeling type job nor beauty product endorsers just an average jobs like food attendant, saleslady, factory worker, office staff and etc.

I was shocked the first time I saw a middle-aged woman who works as a food attendant at McDonald's and other restaurants here,it will never happen in the Philippines except if you are a regular employee. Only call center jobs  in the Philippines where age and height does not matter but one must be an excellent English speaker with American, Canadian or British accent  , computer literate with an amazing  typing speed  .


There are many Filipina professionals who stepped down from their recent jobs (most are teachers) because of having low salary and  not enough to meet their daily needs , some were been laid off and left no choice but to work abroad while others were unlucky on their search for a  job in the Philippines and after numerous failed attempts gave up and work abroad. When a college or university graduate  Filipina will work abroad as a domestic helper , she'll be probably  looked down  in her hometown which caused her more pains but a heroine in her own family.

Life of a Filipina domestic helper in Hongkong  is not easy . Only a small percentage are considered lucky , most workers  receive verbal, emotional and physical abuse from their  employers , rights are violated,privacy is invaded  with meager food , long working hours , sleep in a corner or uncomfortable little space. The challenge of being away with the family is tough and thanks to the new technology, it helps a lot  because  video chatting with family back home  , it makes somehow close to them , touching their face on the computer screen will temporarily ease the loneliness .


Despite the river of tears and countless battle of emotional stability, Filipina domestic workers  are firm to stay and work in Hongkong to give their family a better life.

To give a vivid and better understanding about the life and condition of Filipina domestic helper  in Hongkong, the joys and sorrows, the  different struggles and how they are able to cope such challenges and rise from being defeated will be shared on my next blog posting .