by Lizzie Elzingre

Created on: February 24, 2009

Hong Kong, a city of 7 million of which 9 percent employs foreign live- in domestic helpers, has Filipinos as the largest migrant community. According to the latest census on immigration, Filipino domestic helpers account for two-thirds of the city's 370,000 non-Chinese population.

How It all Begun

The poor performing economy in the 1970 set off the voluntary and involuntary dispersion and immigration of Filipinos workers worldwide. Then President Ferdinand Marcos implemented the Labor Code of 1974 to begin the Philippines' export of labor to combat rising unemployment rates and to finance reserves with the overseas worker's dollar remittances.

The Filipino construction workers, who went to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries in mid-1970, were first in the exodus of overseas workers. Following them was the surge of entertainers mainly to Japan plus the first recruits of domestic helpers to serve the Middle East royals and nobles.

At home, job securities for teachers were elusive. Instantaneously, agencies were sending teachers to work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong and Singapore including in Italy and Spain.

Why Filipino Teachers Work as Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong

Why do teachers who are supposed to supply the brain, so to speak, for the country's youth are out to work as domestic helpers?

Similar to many other Filipinos who chose to work overseas, grade school and high school teachers are leaving the country because of the offer of a higher pay. While the exodus is literally breaking up the Filipino family, the financial security that working overseas offers in exchange seems worth all the trouble.

The sad condition of public school teachers in the Philippines is a harsh one. Teaching environment of low salaries, heavy teaching and non-teaching load, crowded classrooms, a stifling bureaucracy, corruption at various levels, and the lack of opportunities for career and personal growth make the flexible, industrious, and skilled Filipino teachers find their way into an unexpected niche market.

On the other hand, Hong Kong employers have some good reasons why Filipinos comprise the vast majority of domestic helpers. Largely, Filipino domestic helpers or feiyungs in Hong Kong are with Education degree willing to work as helpers and nannies for a higher salary than they could make at home. Their attributes, if quality is to serve as a guide, include proficiency in English, a highly motivated work ethic, honesty, reliability, and genuine concern for the families

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>