There are times when I would look wistfully over the other side of the professional fence and imagine myself firmly established in the corporate life. Though fast-paced and highly competitive, one can move up the corporate career ladder based on the skills set and work ethic that he or she possesses.
Work in a nongovernment organization is never struggle-free, and comes with a great deal of personal financial uncertainty. Yet, the source of fulfillment in NGO work is unquantifiable, especially when you see how women on the dark side of cruel, survive their ordeal.
For the past 15 years, my NGO, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, has been lending a helping hand to distressed Filipino workers from overseas, mostly women, who have suffered severe exploitation and cruelty beyond words in the hands of foreign employers.
When I have much to complain about in my personal life, I think of these brave women, and suddenly, my pain amounts to nothing. Here are three stories shared by our overseas workers who suffered the indignity of modern slavery, and yet have come out of it still hopeful that the best is yet to come.
Tied to a tree
“Ana,” a 29-year-old solo parent of two young children, left her home province to go overseas as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia. Her lady employer came from a prominent and wealthy family. One day, Ana moved a piece of furniture outside as part of her house chores. Her employer got mad at seeing the piece of furniture exposed under the hot sun. She berated Ana who was clueless as to what she did wrong.
To teach the domestic worker a lesson, the employer ordered her driver to tie Ana to the tree. The domestic worker stood under the sun, tied to a tree, from 2 o’clock in the afternoon until 9 o’clock at night. Her coworker was able to take a video of Ana as she struggled to survive her ordeal. The video became viral, prompting her repatriation with the help of the Philippine Embassy.
Through the joint partnership between the Blas Ople Policy Center and the Villar Sipag Foundation led by Sen. Cynthia Villar, Ana received grocery items and modest capital to put up a small store in front of her house. She is keen on pursuing a case to ensure that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) will never allow her employer to hire any worker from the Philippines.
Scalded with cooking oil
“Amie” left behind a teaching job in order to work as a domestic worker in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For the first few weeks, she thought herself lucky because her employers were a young, successful married couple that worked in the financial sector. Soon enough, the couple revealed a conjugal meanness toward Amie that defied description.
Her face, arms and legs bore scars caused by beatings and knife wounds. Out of jealousy, her lady employer decided to cut Amie’s hair, so that the latter would appear ugly to her spouse. They starved her and made her work long hours.
One day, the lady employer brought out a frying pan and poured cooking oil on it. Amie who was also working in the kitchen thought that her employer was just there to cook. Instead, the employer took the frying pan and poured the boiling oil over Amie’s body.
Thinking that they went too far, and seeing how weak with severe burns their domestic worker had become, the couple decided to take a long drive. They left Amie on a deserted road. A Filipino who saw her walking around in a dazed state near to the point of collapse, brought the scarred, frightened and starving worker to the nearest church. The church contacted the Philippine Embassy and the case was reported to the police.
Amie with the help and support of the Philippine Embassy, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Ople Center, pursued a case of human trafficking against her Malaysian employers.
Today, Amie has become a strong advocate of migrant workers’ rights. She now works for the Ople Center and is busy helping other distressed OFWs with their cases.
From Dubai to Bahrain
“Jean” had a good job in Dubai. She worked for a salon and though her salary was low, it was enough to sustain her daily needs. One day, a Filipino couple offered her a job as a domestic worker in Bahrain. The salary would be much higher, the couple said, with a guarantee that her new employer would be kind and generous.
She accepted the offer and flew to Bahrain using a ticket provided by the couple. Upon her arrival, she was taken to an apartment. There was no employer, no job contract and no salary. There were men, countless of them, who would go to the apartment, and were let in provided that they pay, so that they could have sex with Jean.
She managed to escape with another victim and out of fear of reprisal from the police, her recruiters decided to send her back to the Philippines. Jean is now helping her husband with a small business, while cooperating with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.
On the dark side of cruel, nobody wins—least of all, the victims. We owe it to them and the families that they love to do everything possible to end human slavery. Each one of these survivors would appreciate a helping hand from good samaritans that can help them find a local, decent job or who can train them to become micro-entrepreneurs.
For those willing to help, please contact us at the Blas F. Ople Policy Center via blasoplecenter@gmail.com.
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Susan V. Ople heads the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a nonprofit organization that deals with labor and migration issues. She also represents the OFW sector in the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.