by Annie Cabansag
I am Annie Cabansag.
I have been in Singapore since 1997. At
age 23, my sister-in-law's cousin encouraged me to work here. They told me that
I would earn more and that life here is better than the Philippines. Of course I believed them because they all looked
happy and it seemed that they really enjoyed working abroad.
I was then working
and receiving a minimal wage but I was contented with my earnings. I kept the money all to myself since I did not
have a family to support. But everything changed when my mother, who was the sole
bread winner of the family, got sick. Bills started to pile up and my youngest
sibling was then about to enter college. I felt responsible for them because I
am the only one they can depend on. My
brother has his own family to support and my father had already passed away.
I was not quite
ready for the big change in my life, but I had to sacrifice. I consulted some of my close friends, and
even a priest and a nun about my plans of working abroad. They were all concerned about me, especially about
the country I have chosen to work in.
I had mixed emotions
of leaving my job to work abroad because it meant leaving my comfort zone.It
broke my heart when I said goodbye to my family and my boyfriend, the love of
my life, but I needed to be strong to be able to support my family.
As I boarded the
plane my tears fell and I said my prayers. But my sadness turned into joy when
the plane started ascending. I felt the excitement of riding a plane for
the first time and looking forward to seeing another country with that
beautiful image in my mind.
When I arrived in Singapore,
the Immigration officer asked me to sign documents. Then my agent brought me to
the hospital for medical examination. I had lunch at the agency where I was introduced
to my first employer. I would be working for a couple; their two children (a
baby aged 5 months and a kid aged 6 years); plus the mother of my female employer. Although
my parents had trained me well for house work, I was not prepared for the daily
tasks which proved to be physically exhausting. I would hand wash the clothes of five people even
if they had a washing machine. I had to clean the floor using my hands. Apart from
all these, I still had to look after the two young children. The kids’ grandmother who lived with them
scrutinized my every move.
My lady boss or her
mother would scold me several times each day. Yet I took their criticisms
positively and motivated myself to do better. But they continued to abuse me
verbally, physically and mentally. They would
slap me, kick me, and pull my hair. To make matters worse, they would not give
me food so one time, I had to steal a slice of bread and peanut butter spread. I
would cry each night but I continued to pray and sing praises to God. I would
ask Him to give me the strength to carry on. I was in misery for two harrowing
months until God gave me a better chance.
One day, I was sent
out to run errands and I took that opportunity to inform my agent about my
situation. My agent called my employer and asked to see me immediately, with my
bruises and marks still visible. When my
agent saw me, she hugged me, and in tears, took me away from my employer and
transferred me to another family.
This time my employer
turned out to be kind. However, after I had finished my contract, I was told that
my services were no longer required since the children were already independent.
One was in secondary school and the other was already undergoing his compulsory
military service.
With a heavy heart I
looked for another family. I was blessed
and hired by an employer from the United States of America. Since then, in my eighteen
years of working here, all the families I have worked for were families of expatriates
in Singapore. I have worked for six expats and for two local families.
Some say that working
for expats is a bed of roses, but I know that this is not true based on my own
experience. I worked for a family whose members had difficulties handling emotions. I worked for a family whose members had difficulties handling emotions. I felt pressured but I tried to ignore and endure my situation.
I almost had a nervous breakdown because of all the screaming and tantrums when
the day seemed imperfect for them. But despite all these, I never retaliated or quit my job. Why? Because I always waited for
God's right time. He had gifted me with a fighting spirit. I am not a quitter. I continued to pray and to
strive always to be a good worker. And after four years, God heard my prayers. The family moved out of Singapore.
My life as a domestic worker is very
challenging because of the variety of people and culture that I have to deal
with. There is also the transition of living
from one family to the next. Expats do come and go, there is no definite time
for their stay in Singapore. I also have to work hard to fight my homesickness
and loneliness. But I never feel abandoned by God’s love and grace. I always feel
that He blesses me and cares for me. He constantly protects and provides for me.
I have been blessed with generous and
kind hearted employers and through them I am able to take evening classes to
earn a diploma. God had even helped me fulfill my sister's dream of finishing
college. My mother was able to visit me here in Singapore. I have gained
friends and I now belong to different religious organizations like the Legion
of Mary and Couples for Christ. I
consider them my second family.
I do not have any regrets working abroad
to support my family, even if it meant losing my boyfriend and going through
that unhappy incident with my first employers. I am what I am today because of
what I have learned from my work experiences. These have taught me to have a
forgiving heart, to be patient, and to be strong. I praise and thank God always
despite my life circumstances.
For those aspiring and wanting to work abroad I advise you to leave the country of your origin as a legal worker possessing the necessary documents. You should have undergone very good training. BE PREPARED! Life abroad is not easy as depicted by some OFWs or as seen in pictures shared in social media such as Facebook and Instagram.
For those aspiring and wanting to work abroad I advise you to leave the country of your origin as a legal worker possessing the necessary documents. You should have undergone very good training. BE PREPARED! Life abroad is not easy as depicted by some OFWs or as seen in pictures shared in social media such as Facebook and Instagram.
If you get sick, nobody will cook and
take care of you. And sometimes, even when you feel unwell, you still
need to get up and work. You also need a friend that you can count on. Choose a good community of Filipinos or join and be active in church activities where you can
find reliable friends as well.
Also, before you leave, discuss matters on finances and remittances with your family, not only between couples but children as well. There should be openness about how to properly use and save money.
Also, before you leave, discuss matters on finances and remittances with your family, not only between couples but children as well. There should be openness about how to properly use and save money.
I encourage you to enroll and attend
classes on financial education by such institutions like the International
Labour Organization (ILO). For example, I was able to attend a training program
on financial education. It helped me check on my finances which I had neglected
for the past years. There are also training courses offered in cooking, baking,
being a nursing aide, among others. All these classes could help me in my work
and in the future.
OFWs should remember that we will not
work abroad forever. There will come a time when we would have to go back home
because of our age, health, or when our services are no longer needed. All of
us yearn to be with our family and to be with them during special occasions, so
start thinking of saving instead of spending. Lastly, we should hold on to our faith in God and always ask for His guidance.
Annie
A. Cabansag,
domestic worker, Singapore. She considers her life as domestic worker as very
challenging but never regrets working abroad to support her family. She has
gone through most of the typical experiences of domestic workers with abusive
employers. Yet, she never surrenders in her goals which is to provide for her
family. As she continues to learn financial literacy, she is also encouraging OFWs
to save and invest for their
reintegration once they stopped working abroad.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete