Success stories attract as many audiences as the sad and tragic ones. Why? The reason is that in both instances, there are tremendous lessons to be learned. Take for example the story of Analiza Palana, a young lady that in search for a more comfortable life decided to work in Taiwan as a domestic helper. 

Analiza’s Story

Analiza only wants a way to escape poverty when she pawned their small land to pay for the placement fee and work in Taiwan. When she left the Philippines for a domestic helper job in Taiwan in February 17, 2005, she thought God finally heard her prayers and her dreams would soon be a reality.

Unfortunately, she realized that surviving in this foreign country would be much harder than she thought.

As a domestic helper, Analiza had to clean a 3-storey house everyday. On the first floor are the parking area, her bedroom, and the kitchen. Then there are two big rooms on the second floor, which both have toilets. On the third floor are another two rooms, one toilet, and the washing area.

She finds this task hard because her employer does not allow her to use gloves in washing clothes. The water is also ice-cold because she has to do the laundry in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes, they even asked her to clean a pigeon’s cage. By ten in the morning, the whole house must be spotless and the laundry done because Analiza and her employer have to go at the latter’s office. 

At night, when she is so exhausted and badly in need of rest, she still has to iron clothes and gets to sleep only at around 11 pm. This is her everyday routine. Analisa’s hands went numb from too much work. She cannot feel a thing even if she pressed it as hard as she can. Her forearm became swollen because she is also not allowed to use a broomstick in cleaning. Her employer demands that she used her hands and clean fast!

Once a week, she went to the house of her employer’s sibling to clean for them. Sometimes, her employers even asked her to go to the house of her in-laws and take care of their grand-children. Fortunately, the employer’s relatives are quite nice because they always gave her some food and clothes.

Her employer violated many rules regarding her deployment. Among other things, she work beyond the regular working hours and she does not have any rest day. Her passport was withheld without her knowledge and permission. Still, Analiza is determined and doesn’t want to give up, so in spite of being overworked and abused is still willing to endure everything.

However, on April 12 2005, barely two months after arriving in Taiwan, she was surprised when her broker came and told her that she had a flight schedule that day. She was sent home to the Philippines because her employer did not like her services. Analisa was shocked because of the many debts that she has to face here.

The Many Analiza

Analiza went home not with the triumph she had hoped for. The truth is after two months of working in Taiwan, she is in an even worse financial state than before she left the Philippines.

Her story is not an isolated case. As much as we try to deny it,

so may Filipinos experienced the same fate. The question is why do this happen and what can we do to ensure that all OFWs are spared of those hardships?

The answer to this complicated question can take in many forms. However one thing is certain, everyone should first ask oneself a hundred times before considering working in a foreign land. Necessary preparations and weighing of pros and cons is a must no one can afford to ignore. One should also gain previous knowledge about the culture and lifestyle of the country where he or she wants to work. Knowing one’s rights as a foreign employee must also be clear from the start.

Working abroad represents excellent opportunities. However, the truth is that it is still not an endeavor that is meant for all. Working abroad is not for everyone and definitely not the only way to reach one’s dreams.