My mind wanders to all of the horror stories I have read about the tens of thousands of Filipino workers who spend money to go abroad, and then find they've been scammed by the recruiting agencies. The support work that happens at the Centre is as varied as it is vital. The live-in domestics in Canada come mostly from the Philippines and the Caribbean. The live-in requirement of Canada Immigration is designed to facilitate exploitation by the employers and minimize the independence of the woman. Another financial burden affecting women leaving the Philippines, in search of earning a living to support their families, are the huge fees paid to the Philippine government, recruitment agencies, and air travel.
Many migrant workers spend their first year's earnings just paying off the investment to get abroad.
Options for Filipino women are limited back at home. Women are farmers involved in rice, coconut, vegetable and sugarcane production. They predominate in the informal economy as washerwomen, itinerant vendors or traders. The trauma of having to work in jobs much lower to one's level of skill, experience and educational training, permanently scars the self-esteem, confidence and dignity of the women. In Canada, Filipino women come prepared with university degrees and college certificates before reaching immigration.