Feature

Pinay nanny calling kid in PH tugs at heartstrings of Australian journo

Taking care of someone else’s kid while abandoning yours back home.

The irony was not lost on people who see Filipino domestic helpers all over the world, but Singapore-based journalist Steven Dziedzic of Australian Broadcasting Network couldn’t help but tweet this as he recounted the scene on the bus yesterday, sitting next to a Filipino nanny.

“She was on Face Time, quietly talking to her daughter back home, trying not to cry. Every so often she’d whisper ‘I love you, I miss you’ in English. The toddler she’s caring for slept peacefully in a pram.”

“Life is not fair,” Dziedzic wrote.

His tweet went viral, with more than 7,000 retweets and 46,000 likes, and generated quite a discourse on how Filipino domestic helpers are treated in Singapore.

Fellow Australian netizen @jennyweez commented, “The treatment of domestic workers in Singapore used to break my heart. Especially the way many privileged expats took their labour for granted and never seemed to think about the heartache or these women who do so much to take care for their children.”

The TV journalist replied, “I don’t pretend to be an authority on this but in my experience there’s a huge spectrum. Yes, some employers are vicious and exploitative. Others are respectful and reasonable. Either way, I agree no one should *ever* take their labour for granted.”

@jennyweez agreed to Dziedzic’s point but stressed though that she knew some expats in Singapore who “completely took their helper for granted, hated that they had Sundays off and were outraged at any request for a raise.”

Another Australian netizen @alexdonline wrote: “The labour laws in Singapore and other countries with similar programs are a disgrace. These domestic workers are basically exploited. Not many take the time to look under the shiny veneer of Singapore.”

@lotus2955 from Perth, Australia said he saw the same scene in Jordan. “It’s tough but they still always do a great job and with a smile,” he said.

To which Dziedzic replied, “I’m amazed by their resilience. It’s lovely when you see domestic workers just gathering in the parks on Sunday, taking the opportunity to laugh and joke together.”

@alexdonline then challenged Dziedzic, a foreign affairs reporter, to take some time to “expose the reality” of conditions of the foreign domestic helpers in Singapore. “Ask them how much they get paid and how much time they get off. Or what happens if they marry a local Singaporean,” he added.

Staff Report

The Filipino Times is the chronicler of stories for, of and by Filipinos all over the world, reaching more than 236 countries in readership. Any interesting story to share? Email us at [email protected]

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