Consulate rejects bid to hire helpers
Philippine officials have turned down Canto pop star Jacky Cheung’s application to hire two new Filipino helpers.
This came just weeks after the High Court upheld a theft conviction against Preslyn Catacutan, one of Cheung’s former maids, for stealing three photos and a letter from his household.
Cheung’s record of having terminated an unusually high number of Filipino maids during the past three years had landed him on the consulate blacklist, officials said.
“We told them we’re sorry but given their record, this is our policy and it’s best we keep it that way,” said Consul General Al Vicente, who along with other officials met Cheung’s wife, former actress Mei Lo, at the consulate offices in Admiralty.
“What we tried to explain to her was that this was not about Preslyn, although we admitted that somehow [the maid’s case] brings it to light even more because of the feelings of Filipinos and also because of the publicity this case has engendered.
“But we made it clear that [the suspension] was not a way of getting back at them or the Chinese,” Vicente added.
Consulate records showed that the celebrity couple have had 21 Filipino domestic helpers under their employ over the past three years, revealing a disturbing pattern of wanton hiring and firing that spurred labor officials to take action.
Labor sources also revealed that the couple had hired seven more Filipino maids after Catacutan’s contract was terminated in August last year. Only a handful of the 21 helpers had been able to see out their two-year contracts with the family, they added.
Lo, accompanied by a friend who had arranged the meeting with consulate officials, explained that the numbers were only exaggerated by the fact that they hire four domestic helpers at a time.
“She was aware of that [record], but she explained that it was because they employ four at a time,” Vicente said.
“If you compare it with other employers with just one household help, she said perhaps given that period they would also come down to that many.”
Officials said Cheung and his wife will not be able to retain the services of four Filipino helpers under their employ once their contracts expire unless the suspension is lifted, pending another review.
Vicente also took the opportunity to enlighten the former actress on the sensibilities of Filipinos as well as on the precarious situation domestic helpers face in the territory.
“We told her, ‘You know Filipinos, they don’t just work for money. If they’re treated well by their employers, then money may not be the main consideration.
“They would do more than what is expected, it would be all right if they are treated nicely and properly.’
“That is what we would expect from employers but unfortunately, in some cases that had not been the case.
“We also explained to her that when you terminate a contract, it’s not just the person who suffers. Her family back home also suffers. She may have gone into debt just to raise the money needed to come here and she expects to earn enough money to pay
it back.
“If you terminate them in a matter of weeks, it becomes a big problem for all of them,” he said.
What do you think about the whole issue? Which side is on the right?
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1 comment:
I believed it is related to the employers. How the employers treated the helpers, how the way they will do. I had a maid before, and I liked her. Even now when she is working for my aunt, she always come to my home to chat with my mom in holidays. When she was working for us, my mom allowed her to chat with her friends by cell phone, or do whatever she wants after she had finished all the stuffs. She never complained about my mom. But after she worked for my aunt, She came and complained about that, my aunt even jealous about her because her kids like her more than their mom.
That's the point why I think he might be a little bit harsh...?
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