When the civil case filed by the former domestic helper of Lauro Baja Jr. against the ex-Ambassador to the United Nations hit the headlines, I was a hundred and ten percent certain that three extremist camps would make themselves visible, each taking a different stand as to which party is guilty and which is innocent.
Those who, by reason of upbringing or screwed thinking or both, treat house helpers as second-class human beings by nature will assert that Marichu Suarez Baoanan is surely nothing but an extortionist. Meanwhile, the champions of the economic underdogs will automatically presume that Baja and his family are guilty as the former house helper charges. Finally, people who condemn the practice of hiring live-in domestic helpers will be quick to point out that abuse is inherent in the arrangement.
When a house helper accuses the employer of abuse, the biggest snobs are the quickest to mention the word “extortion.” Whether its human nature or some other social phenomenon, for some reason, people are quick to side with those from their own economic class. Perhaps, it’s a manifestation of limited thinking. Some people can’t see beyond their own upbringing so that, in any situation, they are only able to see their side. Then, they embark on a litany of their own difficulties with their house helpers. A show of sympathy, as it were or, perhaps, an instinct to band with their kind.
I know a lot of snobs. Probably the most memorable is someone–a person whom society obliges me to respect but for whom I have very little respect–who thought she was being THE ultimate humanitarian when she said repeatedly that house helpers are human beings and should not be abused but should, rather, be treated with sympathy because “ipinanganak silang bobo (they were born stupid).” I can’t count the number of times I had been tempted to retort and say, “No, they weren’t born stupid, they are just poor and being poor has nothing to do with having or not having brains.”
Then, there are the people from the opposite side of the fence–the ones who, no matter what the facts and circumstances, will always see the poorer adversary as the victim who deserves sympathy and support. They will see the house helper’s statements as the real facts and anything that the employer says is nothing but a lie to save his sorry ass. For these people, lying and abuse go with being rich. For these people, the poor are incapable of wrongdoing. And even if the poor committed some crime, their sordid circumstances should exempt them from liability.
Many people, educated or uneducated, have difficulty distinguishing the issues from the personalities, and the facts from the accusations. What’s new, really? Between Baoanan’s accusations and Baja’s denials, no one really knows whether Baoanan is an extortionist or Baja was an abusive employer who abused his diplomatic position. It is curious that he admitted being the reason that Baoanan had a diplomatic passport and I wondered if it is standard procedure for an ambassador’s house helper to get a diplomatic passport. Anyway…
Not too long ago, I got into a debate with a Filipino now living in New York who, for some reason, thinks that the hiring of a live-in domestic helper, per se, is abusive and degrading. For him, it doesn’t matter if the house helper gets good wages, is treated well and gets all the benefits that a hired worker is entitled to. For him, it is the label itself, the status of being a house helper that is degrading. To use his very words, he described the practice as “medieval.”
He reminded me very much of Marisa Ventura, Jennifer Lopez’s character in the film “Maid In Manhattan”, who didn’t mind being a chambermaid in a hotel but who absolutely refused to do the same work in another man’s house. The only difference is that Marisa shunned domestic work because she saw better opportunities up the social and professional ladder by working as a chambermaid. The Pinoy in New York, on the other hand, thinks that it is doing house work per se that is degrading.
My father was a lawyer. In one of the many father-daughter talks that we had, he often mused about options if times became really hard and there were no longer sufficient jobs for professionals. He said he didn’t worry too much about himself. He could cook (he was a great cook) and he could drive. If worse comes to worst, he said, he could be a cook or driver for some millionaire and still make a living. The term “degrading” did not even figure in the conversation. He was giving one his many pep talks, teaching me indirectly that after I became a lawyer, I shouldn’t consider non-lawyer jobs as being too menial just because I have acquired a professional title.
I think about what my father said and place his arguments side by side with what that Filipino in New York said. Pride and self-respect I value. But I can see clearly that what “degrading” means is relative. A lawyer who weighs his worth as a person based on the title that precedes his name will find it degrading to work as a family driver. He would probably choose to serve as a lawyer for a mobster instead because he will still be addressed as “attorney.” On the other hand, a lawyer who cannot stomach the thought of being the henchman of a criminal would rather be a family driver. Who is degrading himself?
In an ideal world, no one would be forced to take on a job that he didn’t like. But utopia does not exist and we just all do the best we can.
It's all in the upbringing.
If you appreciate and respect who you are, you will have a better understanding and appreciation of those around you.
I agree and admire everything you wrote except for one. In the second to the last paragraph you wrote, "He would probably choose to serve as a lawyer for a mobster instead because he will still be addressed as "attorney." On the other hand, a lawyer who cannot stomach the thought of being the henchman of a criminal would rather be a family driver. Who is degrading himself?"
I am not a lawyer but I'm surprised at what you, a lawyer, wrote about being a lawyer for a mobster. You assumed a lot things here! Since when does lawyering for a mobster make one a member of the criminal's entourage? You should know of all people that legal representation does not make a lawyer what his client is.
Thank you.
Sassy,
You are very lucky. You have a father who knows what dignity is all about. I don't know him personally, but I'll take my hats off for him.
Jesse, you're not a lawyer, as you say, and you are the one assuming a lot of things.
Growing up in America I am not at all used to the idea of domestic help. Besides the prevelent independent, do-it-yourself mentality, domestic helpers in reality just don't exist for the average person. What is different here is it is almost mandatory — not because I needed one, but I was almost a social pariah because I didn't one. On one end of the social spectrum I was degrading myself with domestic, manual labor and on the other end I was a heartless kuripot because I wasn't helping out a needy person with a job!
It is a common practice of some Filipino diplomats and diplomatic staff (non-FSOs) to bring a domestic helper overseas. Most of the domestic helpers are paid well but obviously not as high as the wages in the host country (eg. USA, Australia, France, New Zealand, etc.). Anyway, wages for domestic helpers are factored in the allowances and salaries received by diplomatic staff and diplomats.
This is not an exclusive practice of Filipino diplomats. I know for a fact that Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian diplomats bring in their own helpers from their own country whenever the host countries' cost of labour is higher than theirs. The rate paid to these Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian helpers are much less than what a Pinoy helper for a Pinoy diplomat gets.
Helpers don't get a blue colored diplomatic passport, they normally get the red colored official passport or the green or maroon colored regular passport in some cases.
You made a great point. Frankly, after I read the news article last weekend, I was inclined to believe the accusations of the former domestic help—the usual case of the powerful exploiting the powerless. An American friend who spent her vacation in Manila a few years ago noticed the uniformed maids with their employers at the mall, and she confided that she feels sorry for the maids for having employers who 'parade' them wearing their maid's uniform. I agree with my friend but at the same time believe that being a maid (in uniform or not) is not degrading. I'd rather be a maid and wear a uniform than being an illegal recruiter with a Mercedes Benz.
When a person applies for adjustment of immigration status i.e.
from tourist or working visa to green card, the Homeland Security inquires about three things:
1. how the person gain entry to the US
2. the work experience for at least ten years with the corresponding salaries
3. academic qualification if the basis of the application for the visa is employee-related as contrasted with family-based petition.
There is a red flag when the person applying carried a red passport to gain entry in the US. Investigation as to why she is still in the US when her visa is co-terminus with the diplomat's assignment will be made. Another red flag is the academic background in relation to the job assignment. Then the salary.
My cousin's friend who came with a diplomatic passport as a nanny of a consul and is being petitioned by another employer was denied of a visa. Reason is that her work experience does not show anything about being a domestic help.
Before the case is elevated to the court for jury trial, investigations to gather evidences for grand jury indictment are made for many months, even for a year unlike in the PHilippines where trial by publicity comes first before investigations.
Diplomatic passports are given to personal employees of the diplomats and other people in the foreign service. It is a privilege which is now suspected to be abused by some people in the embassy row.
Alam mo Ms. Sassy, I'm not going to comment on your topic. Manhid na ako sa kabulastugan nang ating gobyerno in particular and our society in general. What caught my eye is your Dad. I wish my Dad was like your Dad. We're both engineers but we never had any pep talk the way you and your Dad bonds. Inggit ako nang konti.
Its quite surprising that domestic helpers of diplomats and diplomatic staff are issued the blue colored diplomatic passports. The sane members of government should look into this because this may be a violation of the Philippines Passport Act.
Diplomats and diplomatic staff and their families have a lot of privileges. Hundreds of thousands if not millions are spent for the expenses of each diplomat and staff. Some diplomats live modest lives abroad but some think they're Hiltons or royalty.
The prime minister of Thailand first love is cooking and before he entered politics he has a cooking show on Thai Tv,(He also cook in a restaurant at one point of his life) And even after he became a prime ministers he still do some cooking ,he always find time to prepare food for his family and friends,when he came to Philippines the first thing he did was to visit the public market and bought stuffs and cook it for his staffs in the Thai embassy and he even served them.He takes pride of being a good cook morethan being a prime minister.Never did he thought that what he was doing was degrading considering his position "a prime minister".
The only problem here is if Baoanan's claim is true which seems to make sense was that she was brought along by Baja to help her land a job as a nurse. Precisely why she paid $5,000 for the visa and plane fare to the travel agency owned by the wife of Baja. And then the further claim that she was told she owed the Baja's an additional $5,000 gave her the option to seek the protection of migrant rights group.
These things happen, people promise the moon and the stars just to exploit people and would have been prevented if people realize that such arrangement is fraudulent.