The Philippines’ economy has been one of Asia’s best performers recently, and is forecast by the World Bank to increase by more than 6% annually over the next three years. Tap to expand image This growth is having a disconcerting effect on the “maid trade” in Hong Kong and Singapore, employment agents in both cities say. In both cities, tens of thousands of Filipino women work long hours cooking, cleaning and caring for children for about $500 a month, often while separated from their own children and families for years. Now there’s evidence some of these women are opting to stay home instead. Thanks to the Philippines’ stronger economy, wealthy Singaporeans are having to “lower the bar” when hiring a Filipino maid, recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani told The Straits Times . Filipino women with excellent English and a good education are finding jobs at home, leaving Singapore’s upper class with no choice but to import women with few specialized skills from impoverished rural areas. “Now, as long as the maids can speak and write English, it’s okay,” he said. The shift comes as President Benigno Aquino is championing billions of dollars in infrastructure and development projects designed to build up the country’s provincial towns, a push that is drawing migrants back to once-sleepy towns, as Bloomberg reported this week. READ MORE:qz/253047/the-philippines-booming-economy-is-causing-a-maid-drain-in-hong-kong-and-singapore/
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 13:10:02 +0000
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