Reflections on the Filipinos in HK

When first coming to HK and Macau, the overabundance of Filipino people and sounds of Tagalog were astonishing. On any given train or bus, you can hear Tagalog spoken, which is amazing for a country that is 90% Chinese. On weekends, hundreds of Filipino domestic helpers gather around Central station and 'picnic' on the streets of downtown Hong Kong. They sing songs, dance, and gossip about the latest filipino celebrities. It is easy for one to assume Filipinos are probably one of the highest minority groups in this area. Of course, I knew before coming here that there would be quite a few Filipinos but I never guessed that their presence would be so large in both countries.

What bothers me is why they are here. In HK, the vast majority of them are domestic helpers, and thus almost 99% female. The use of domestic helpers is so common that not having a helper in your household is somewhat looked down upon in this society. Of course, with the inevitable rat race in HK, one must do whatever it takes to 'keep up with the Jones'. If that means getting a helper, than you are getting a helper, even when the wife doesn't work. I find it incredible that women who do not work still need to hire a person to take care of their children. I always believed that if you were wealthy enough to not work than your only responsibility in life would be to care for the children. In most instances though,both parents are caught up in the strenuous work schedules of corporate HK, where commonly people work 8-8 on an 'easy' day. What then happens is these helpers are live in maids and nannies for the households.

Children tend to grow very attached to their nannies since they were raised by them since they were infants. The helpers become the child's only source of attention and affection. If I were a parent, I would struggle with the thoughts that a nanny had a stronger relationship with my own child. What gets tricky is when parents do not allow the helpers to discipline the children, which of course leads to them becoming spoiled and unmanageable. I myself witnessed a young child's tantrum in a bookstore, while a helper just watched quietly till they were tired of screaming and crying. In addition, what amazes me is when the mother goes out with the children but needs to still bring along the helper for the outing. This demonstrates just how helpless these parents are to handle their own children. I feel that the disattachment to their children and inability to adequately handle them can be a possible contributing factor to why families tend to send their children abroad for studies.

It does slightly irritate me that Filipinos hold such a lowly status in HK and Macau, especially when coming from America when most Filipino households hold professional, middle class jobs. In retrospect, most people who can afford to move to America must have the means to survive in a relatively expensive society. Therefore most are college educated and hold professional degrees. Those that must seek helper positions in HK and Macau probably do not have the education or the means to find a professional job in the PI. In addition, the helper culture is also ingrained in PI, where most middle class households have 1-2 maids. I guess the economy must be salvaged and the politics of PI must be uncorrupted in order to eliminate the need for the lower class individuals to work abroad in menial positions. I guess it can always go back to economics; if the job market in PI can not sustain an uneducated workforce, those individuals are pushed out into other job markets that offer more attractive salaries. The Filipinos who come to HK and Macau are in search of financial stability and a means to support their families at home. Who am I to judge, when I've never had to face the struggles they have endured...