Thursday, January 10, 2008
maidcity
While doing some research on local anti-poverty organizations, I stumbled across MaidCity.com. My first encounter with the site was a profile page of a woman from Isabela. So then I visited the home page and browsed through different profiles, one of which was of a woman from Baguio who didn't finish her course in Computer Engineering.
The good thing about this site is that it easier for employers abroad to get to know the type of people they plan to employ. The working descriptions are comprehensive and very specific.
The bad thing about it is that it appears to "commodify" maids, as if they were just shoes and accessories being sold online. They also have specific checklists for looks, which actually put the applicants in danger. I mean, what if they get hired by a manyak employer and his only basis was the way she looked? And if she gets raped, she cannot just fight for your rights since she's in a foreign country and she doesn't really know how things work there.
Another bad thing about it is that around 60% of the applicants are Filipinas. It's really sad how because of our situation here in the Philippines wherein getting employment is one big obstacle course, a lot of Filipinos resort to working abroad. And I think this is one of the reasons why a lot of less-fortunate girls are reared to become maids.
It's not that I'm looking down on maids. In fact, I really have high regard for them. I'm proud that they didn't choose to become prostitutes. And I salute them for being really patient with their jobs and their employers. I just feel that our Filipino women should be given a wider range of job opportunities.
My yaya Ate Pam reads John Grisham, Harry Potter, and Mario Puzo. She was on her way to becoming an accountant but she had to stop because they didn't have enough money for her tuition. We were actually planning on getting her into night school, but she had to go back to Davao to take care of her mother.
I mean, see? A lot of women have the potential but aren't given the chance to live their dreams because of poverty. (Calling Oprah, please build a leadership school for girls here too, please?)
I have two points to summarize this entry: One, I feel that MaidCity.com tends to treat maids as commodities, therefore looking down on them or "dehumanizing" them. Two, if not for the economic situation in the Philippines, I'm sure not all women would choose to be maids. They deserve the chance to become who they really want to be.
Ito lang, please give your yayas due respect. They deserve it. Get to know them -- their stories, their likes, their dislikes. Don't make them feel as if they don't exist. Commend them and reward them for jobs well done. Give them a chance to live happily by making them feel part of your family. And please, discourage them from building a profile at MaidCity.com.
posted by Chesca @ 7:09 PM
