“I finished a Physical Therapy course in my hometown in the Philippines. But then, I didn’t get to practice as a therapist. My first job was in the assembly line of a big electronics factory in the south of Manila. I worked there for a few years. When I got married, I stopped working to raise my family. But my husband died early and I have to be a solo parent to my kids, so I returned to work. This time, I worked in another electronics factory, doing the same thing: working the assembly line. I was so good at my work that I became Line Leader, then Planner, and then Assistant Foreman,” Lilac narrated.

Unplanned Migration to Malaysia

Lilac* was one of the first Filipino compatriots I met in Malaysia. She has a very friendly and warm personality, and people tend to gravitate towards her, as I did. Later, as I got to know her, I realized that Lilac is a highly-skilled worker, with sufficient academic background and work experience that belies the notion that domestic helpers are unskilled workers.

Lilac did not plan on working abroad. But a friend who she thought was applying for work abroad asked her to tag along. Little did she know that she’d be the one to successfully apply and find work in Malaysia. But despite Lilac’s skills, she works precariously as domestic helper in Malaysia.

Unfair Pay and Discrimination

“I work as a stay-out or freelance domestic helper and cleaner. I’m in control of my hours of work and I can choose who I work for. As I’m paid per hour of work, I earn more than the domestic helpers who live with their employers or stay-in, but then I also have more expenses than they do. I pay for my own rent, utilities, transportation and food. I pay for and process my own visa and work permit which costs around RM 7,000 to 10,000 for the first year, though lesser in succeeding years. If I get sick, my medical  expenses comes out of my own pocket. That’s why I have to work doubly hard to be able to pay for my upkeep and to send money back home. I may have more freedom than the stay-in domestic helpers, but my situation is more risky and precarious than theirs,” she disclosed.

For Lilac and most migrant domestic workers, the precariousness of work is a matter of fact or a given in their line of work. They face it everyday and they’re used to it. It is either this or they go back home, which is unthinkable because there are no decent paying jobs back home.