Maybe 'yaya' To You- But Not To Me!

[OnMyWay]

Jessdaddy and all, thanks for the great perspectives!  You gave me some good ideas!

 

We have a good nanny and she certainly is treated with respect.  We pay her the going rate and we are pay her Philhealth and SS too.  She previously worked for my girlfriend and contacted us about coming back to work because she did not like her "normal" job as a cook at a resort in Bohol.  Her salary as a cook was about twice what we pay her.  It was great timing for us and we gladly "enslaved" her once again!   :hystery:  She is a good worker and I am happy with her.

 

I have not seen firsthand any of the abuse mentioned, but I am sure it exists.  As also mentioned, the kids will copy the parents.

[Bruce]

Well, what really troubles me is when you think you are hiring a 'yaya' but instead get a 'wak wak'. Now THAT could be an issue... :omg:

[Tukaram (Tim)]

i told my girlfriends 31 year old cousin she can be my ya ya!

i am 49 and need all the help i can get.

[relcarve25]

   What a great lot of perspectives on the 'YaYa' concept.I have learned a lot.From Jake's 'Aristocratic Bitch' employer to JeSsDaDdY's fantastic set of advice for us all.-with lots of other unique observations in between. I know that several people have argued very forcibly for the positive benefits for a child in having a 'good' YaYa- and I certainly can't disagree with them- but another side of the coin is that there is no real substitute for the child's true mother.  If a YaYa is being employed for the role of 'mother substitute' I feel there will be multiple problems. One of the most prominent of these is found, even in countries like the UK, where increasingly both parents have to work and a child is looked after by grandparents or a friend. Frankly there are many people who are full of crap, or are very ignorant and prejudiced about many things. Being the child's blood relative doesn't exempt them from being downright, unhealthily stupid.I, for one, don't want my child to consider these people as 'role models.' As has been pointed out most YaYa's in the Philippines are poorly educated and from a very limited background. There is considerable potential for their charges to learn 'bad habits' from them.

   Another different aspect of the subject interests me. In my experience I have seen quite a few examples of ONE Filipino attitude to the YaYa concept. This is that to have a 'servant' seems to be regarded as a 'status symbol.' I have seen some of my wife's relatives who are dirt poor, with no prospects of a good or even regular income, suddenly employ another person as a servant- not because they were all at work and needed child care or help with housework but- in my judgement- simply to pretend that they are better off than their equally poor neighbours. Such arrangements almost always quickly collapse when money runs out for wages. Is this really common in Philippine Society? Perhaps JeSsDaDdY or other Filipinos could explain this? To me it just seems really, really stupid because the people involved in the arrangement know that there is no regular income to pay for this- so it's obvious that they will have to fire the helper and look very foolish to their 'crab mentality' neighbours who are dying to pull them down.? Anybody help??

[StayAtHomeDad]

 Another different aspect of the subject interests me. In my experience I have seen quite a few examples of ONE Filipino attitude to the YaYa concept. This is that to have a 'servant' seems to be regarded as a 'status symbol.' I have seen some of my wife's relatives who are dirt poor, with no prospects of a good or even regular income, suddenly employ another person as a servant- not because they were all at work and needed child care or help with housework but- in my judgement- simply to pretend that they are better off than their equally poor neighbours. Such arrangements almost always quickly collapse when money runs out for wages. Is this really common in Philippine Society? Perhaps JeSsDaDdY or other Filipinos could explain this? To me it just seems really, really stupid because the people involved in the arrangement know that there is no regular income to pay for this- so it's obvious that they will have to fire the helper and look very foolish to their 'crab mentality' neighbours who are dying to pull them down.? Anybody help??

 

Excellent post and observation. It's so funny that you mention this. I have seen this a few times with my own relatives. This usually happens when there is  SLIGHTEST, HINT, PROSPECT or CHANCE of a pipe-dream business becoming a reality - at least in the mind of the poor relative. For example, cousin Jun2x approaches me and asks if I am interested in financing his latest business scheme that will make us both uber rich. Of course, the Filipino part of me does not want to tell him that's an idiotic idea and that no way in Hades would i invest 10 pesos in it or that I know any proceeds from the biz will never find there way back to me. Rather, I say "I dont know" and "I am not sure" or "maybe I dont have that kind of money." Of course, this translates in my cousin's mind as "ah, i will be rich soon. I better get ready to spend the money." So, off he goes to tell the little lady how excited I am about the new business and how soon he will be buying her anything she wants. Then, the little wife says "hon, you know I am tired. Can you please let my cousin luv2x come stay with us and help with the house, the kids and the laundry? We only need to pay her small, and she dont eat so much." My cousin hastily replies, "Sure, gang. I love to do that for you." A few minutes later another child is conceived.

 

A couple of weeks passes and the cousin comes to me again and asks about the business venture. This time, I still dont say "NO" in a direct manner, but instead just say "well I dont have extra money for that kind of thing." Again, my cousin takes this to mean I am absolutely going to do it as soon as I get the money to capitalize the scheme - cause he does not really believe I dont have the money but maybe waiting for more information. Nor does he believe I am stupid enough to pass up a sure fire opportunity that will turn a few hundred thousand into a few hundred million - again, his thoughts only. A this point, my cousin's wife is still excited about her pending fortune, but asks about an allowance to buy some vegetables and rice. But, wait he gave her allowance for rice and vegetables a two days ago. That should have been enough to buy provisions for three days. Why is she asking for more after only two? Ah, he thinks "the yaya eats." But, oh well, everything will be ok soon. Still, my cousin instructs his wife to ask the helper not to eat so much so the budget to feed 4 for 3 days can now feed 5 for 3 days. Then, it's just a matter of time before it all spirals out of control. Ultimately, the yaya or maid gets the blame cause she is a glutton and as such should not dare ask for a salary.

 

Of course, the above situation is imaginary - to a point. The reality is that none of my cousins would approach me these days for this type of thing, as they know better and that it would just be a waste of bus, jeepney or tricycle fare. Still, I think this illustrates how these kinds of things do happen sometimes. Oh, and by the way, in the end, I am the bad guy cause I promised to help with the business and did not follow through. Funny how people hear things in the way that best suits the moment.

 

Now, in complete fairness, I do have relatives at the other end of the spectrum who are super-hard working, very proud and would never ask for a single peso unless the life or health of one of their kids was at stake. But then again, if that were the case, they would not need to ask; kuya kuripot would open up the coffers without hesitation. These relatives would also not waste money on a yaya or maid unless they had plenty to spare or the reason for the wife being out of the house or not working directly benefited the family in some tangible way.

Edited March 16, 2013 by JeSsDaDdY

[Thomas]

 

I think I may have quite a bit - albeit different type - of perspective on this topic. I am a single dad, and as such, need yayas. At present, I have three - although they do more than just care for my daughter.

Good post totaly,

but why THREE Ya-Yas for ONE child???

 

In most countries ONE wife take care of house and SEVERAL children...   :)

 

Great question, but, I usually have four. LOL. Biggest reason is there many things to do in running a household. I dont live in a mansion, but the place is not small by any means. That being said, my daughter is their first priority. I find that allowing my daughter to be cared for by a few yayas rather than only one helps make her a little more socially rounded. They basically take turns watching her, playing with her or whatever when it comes to her. I would not call the area I am in particularly dangerous, but a few extra pairs of eyes makes me more comfortable for sure.

 

Additionally, I think you are absolutely correct when you say one wife can can care for several children. But think about that for a second, that's the wife - and probably also the mother in most cases. Nannies, or yayas, may be very attentive and loving to your kids, but they will never prioritize them the way a mother would. Mothers have a natural instinct for knowing what's going on with their own children. WIth the children of others, though, that instinct may not be as strong. Is three or four yayas overkill? Perhaps. But I believe that it is worth it in my case. Besides, weekly rest days make more than one a necessity. Also, there is simply too much work in caring for my daughter and taking care of the house for one to handle alone. A woman may be able to do it alone, but I do not think it would be easy at all.

Aren't there any KIDS your daughter can play with too??  :)

 

Corect, a mother have some extra capacity normaly, 

but taking good care of children is a SKILL, which some mothers don't have, but e g good Ya-Yas have.

(Even MEN at my father's side have good skill at this too at least 105 years back, when my great grandmother often had to tell my great grandfather, who had own small business in making furniture, he had to stop playing with the kids and work   :hystery:

 

Well. If not bother to try to have the HOUSE perfect, then ONE person can take care of house AND 2-3 kids good enough. It's DONE in most families...  But if you hire many enough, then you need one extra for the extra work to take care of the extra work needing to take care of the Ya-Yas   :hystery:   

 

Concerning the rest day:

What??!! Can't you take care of your daughter YOURSELF one day per week?? Is she that naughty?  :)  (Put the free day on a day you are free from work yourself.) 

(If you can't cook, you can let a ONE Ya-Ya prepare some food, which you just heat up.)

JeSsDaDdY offers excellent advice on the proper relationship between the family and their helpers. In our case, my wife was paying double the going rate. This created friction with the relatives because the other households would learn through the gossip mill how much our helpers were receiving. For those who were not live-in like the drivers, I would purchase one sack of rice every ninety days as a bonus. It was during a period of high inflation and that sack of rice assured them and their extended families that they would have something to eat. 

Yes, I have thought of how to solve the problem WANTING to pay some more than the normal pay, without geting problem by it.

(I have forgot who, but someone told he even got threaten by opponents when he paid extra to his business employed.)

 

(Concerning Ya-Yas I will not get that problem, because I will not hire any Ya-Ya or maid :mocking:  because I don't want any else than wife and kids living in my home. (A guard living a a bit away guarding both business and entrance road to my home.) So I demand my wife and I will handle all kids and house work ourselves. (Except it can be ok to have VISIT assists when doing more detailed cleaning a few times a year, and perhaps an assist teacher part time. (I plan to compleete public school education with some private teaching by myself and my wife, but if get short of time because of business, then a teacher can be hired part time.)

There are career yayas who are indispensable.  Besides looking after the child's needs, they are also entrusted (in small measure) with the discipline of the child.  We're talking time-out (not spanking). 

After all, the best time to correct poor behavior is immediately after it occurs, by someone who witnesses it.  Somehow, waiting for the parents to get home just raises everyone's anxiety level, and could even instil resentment towards the parents. 

They make sure that the child does his homework early enough in the day and does not leave it until the last minute.  They also keep the parents posted on good and bad behavior.

This arrangement, of course, will not work for everyone.  But, in a household with multiple children and multiple helpers, abuses are minimized. Someone is bound to rat on the offender.  And, of course, a lot depends on how well you know the yaya. 

Yes. It's uncommon in Sweden with Ya-Yas, but more common in UK (still?)  Sometimes having SAME Ya-Ya in generations, some valuing them even higher than their own mother in feelings point of view.  Sad, when parents have that distance relation to their kids. (In Sweden some have similar problem, having bad relation to their kids, but here it's more common the feeling relation is replaced by a kindergarten teacher  :'(

1.) DONT hire sisters, cousins or close friends of your yayas.

 

Interesting comment. My extended family had the opposite policy. Nearly everyone's household personnel came from the town of Lucban, Quezon Province, the ancestral home for one branch of the family. It operated almost like a clan system. The one big fear was stealing, including jewelry and other valuables. The shame factor was a deterrent because the person would never be able to go home. It was also a way to provide financial support to distant relatives in need of assistance. This was the preferred way rather than handouts. The problem was you could not fire anyone. The practice was an exchange deal with another relative, which was viewed as a demotion since my wife paid the highest wages. 

 

Funny story. We were close friends with a couple living at one of the villages in Makati. The husband was an executive with a multinational corporation. Their son, who was attending a major football university, came to visit his parents. He was a linebacker, big fellow. The mother explained on the trip home from the airport that they had two young housekeepers who are to be treated like members of the family. She kept repeating it over and over. So following the introduction, the son gave both housekeepers a huge "welcome to the family" hug. After the father and son left for a beer, the two housekeepers came crying to his mother and threatening to immediately leave. The son was too fresh. They were afraid for their lives. Talk about cultural differences! I was asked to provide an explanation to the two housekeepers as to what had happened.

:hystery:   Yes, cultural differences can make many misunderstandings.  I will add yours to my collection.

 

-

Yes, very important to find good families.

It can be some similarity when traditional good families are involved in agreeing about marriage. Then they make pressure at the wife (=their relative), if she missbehave.

Similar as BAD families can make pressure at wifes to try to get as much money from the (kano) husband as possible...

I prefer the good families   :lol:

[Thomas]

 

1.) DONT hire sisters, cousins or close friends of your yayas.

 

Interesting comment. My extended family had the opposite policy. Nearly everyone's household personnel came from the town of Lucban, Quezon Province, the ancestral home for one branch of the family. It operated almost like a clan system. The one big fear was stealing, including jewelry and other valuables. The shame factor was a deterrent because the person would never be able to go home. It was also a way to provide financial support to distant relatives in need of assistance. This was the preferred way rather than handouts. The problem was you could not fire anyone. The practice was an exchange deal with another relative, which was viewed as a demotion since my wife paid the highest wages.

 

i feel you completely. Being half Filipino, I also get pressure from my own relatives here as well as the relatives of my daughter's mother. I dont give into it, though. I tried the cousins or relatives acting as yaya thing for a while, and it failed miserably for the exact reasons you specified. Finally, I did fire the relatives and the fallout from it was considerable. But, oh well. It was a source of hard feelings for some for a while afterwards. But, things have calmed down considerably and they seem to 'get it" now. I never attempt to block access of relatives to my daughter, and someone is nearly always visiting. But still, allowing them to move in and care for my daughter - not anymore in this lifetime. Sometimes, some relatives just dont get the concept that just being related that does not give them Carte Blanche to all of my possessions or personal items. Sometimes, they also dont understand the need to be there to work consistently and not just when they feel like it or are hungry. Of course, my family may be more dysfunctional than some.

 

The whole issue of relatives trying to pressure you to help is one I have come to understand very well. But, that's a whole 'nother topic. Suffice to say that I do what I can, when I can and when I choose to do so. But, that does not include employing them in my home. From my experience with the matter, relatives working along side those unrelated puts them in a position of authority - whether real or imagined. No matter what you do to curb this, it only causes problems in the long run. I guess you could hire ONLY relatives if you need more help, but then I THINK you will find things in your house run the way they want them to and not as you direct. As you said, firing relatives is really hard - believe me I know cause I did. Nevertheless, it was the best decision I ever made for my daughter, my home and my sanity.

I will NOT employ any family at all in my HOME  (because I will not have any living in at all  :)

but I plan to employ some Family-in-law in my BUSINESS, because (except to old parents/grandparents) no support to family without they WORK for it, and my business will need some employed, so it can be a good combination solving two things with one solution     But I will tell them in advance they will have to work proper, I will not allow anyone in the work team damaging the working morale, so if they don't work good enough they will be out UNDEPENDING of if they are family or not...  (Goal is to employ all family needing work or want to move home, plus at least one from each good family in neighbour village,)

 

Being half Filipino

 

How does that work? I know that with Jake, the top half is Kano, evidenced by his thought processes, deductive reasoning and problem solving skills........................ and of course...........................his sexual preoccupation. :thumbsup:  

 

His bottom half? Wellll, something are better left unspoken.

??? Don't his sexual part belong to his bottom half mainly??   :nudie: ;)

 

   What a great lot of perspectives on the 'YaYa' concept.I have learned a lot.From Jake's 'Aristocratic Bitch' employer to JeSsDaDdY's fantastic set of advice for us all.-with lots of other unique observations in between. I know that several people have argued very forcibly for the positive benefits for a child in having a 'good' YaYa- and I certainly can't disagree with them- but another side of the coin is that there is no real substitute for the child's true mother.  If a YaYa is being employed for the role of 'mother substitute' I feel there will be multiple problems. One of the most prominent of these is found, even in countries like the UK, where increasingly both parents have to work and a child is looked after by grandparents or a friend. Frankly there are many people who are full of crap, or are very ignorant and prejudiced about many things. Being the child's blood relative doesn't exempt them from being downright, unhealthily stupid.I, for one, don't want my child to consider these people as 'role models.' As has been pointed out most YaYa's in the Philippines are poorly educated and from a very limited background. There is considerable potential for their charges to learn 'bad habits' from them.

   Another different aspect of the subject interests me. In my experience I have seen quite a few examples of ONE Filipino attitude to the YaYa concept. This is that to have a 'servant' seems to be regarded as a 'status symbol.' I have seen some of my wife's relatives who are dirt poor, with no prospects of a good or even regular income, suddenly employ another person as a servant- not because they were all at work and needed child care or help with housework but- in my judgement- simply to pretend that they are better off than their equally poor neighbours. Such arrangements almost always quickly collapse when money runs out for wages. Is this really common in Philippine Society? Perhaps JeSsDaDdY or other Filipinos could explain this? To me it just seems really, really stupid because the people involved in the arrangement know that there is no regular income to pay for this- so it's obvious that they will have to fire the helper and look very foolish to their 'crab mentality' neighbours who are dying to pull them down.? Anybody help??

Well. The feelings from a mother CAN be good replaced by a good someone else, IF there are no mother around. (similar for fathers) because then a SMALL child can relate to the other person as to the missing parent*,

BUT I find it very bad if such happens, when the parent is living there without bonding enough.

*E g my grandfather (father's side) became stepfather when he married my single mother grandmother, when her daughter where 2 years old. He treated her the same as his own, and later her children too, so not even her kids knew he was stepgrandfather before she died. (Back then it was a shame in Sweden to be born outside marriage.)  So it's possible.

-

Yes, such trying to seem "better than they are" are realy crazy. Such is rather common in villa areas in Sweden too, but not as much as it's common in the Philippines. Here it's just at a level having a better car than the neighbour even if they can't afford it.

 

(I have never bothered about status symbols myself, when I had a rather big company either. Many Filipins find it very odd, when I tell I plan to have:

/NO living in employed,

/a big (because needing the SPACE having part of business at home) good functioning but UGGLY house,

/as well as an UGGLY car   :hystery:

[relcarve25]

Posted Today, 11:33 AM

relcarve25, on 16 Mar 2013 - 10:04, said:

 Another different aspect of the subject interests me. In my experience I have seen quite a few examples of ONE Filipino attitude to the YaYa concept. This is that to have a 'servant' seems to be regarded as a 'status symbol.' I have seen some of my wife's relatives who are dirt poor, with no prospects of a good or even regular income, suddenly employ another person as a servant- not because they were all at work and needed child care or help with housework but- in my judgement- simply to pretend that they are better off than their equally poor neighbours. Such arrangements almost always quickly collapse when money runs out for wages. Is this really common in Philippine Society? Perhaps JeSsDaDdY or other Filipinos could explain this? To me it just seems really, really stupid because the people involved in the arrangement know that there is no regular income to pay for this- so it's obvious that they will have to fire the helper and look very foolish to their 'crab mentality' neighbours who are dying to pull them down.? Anybody help??

JeSsDaDdY  said;

Excellent post and observation. It's so funny that you mention this. I have seen this a few times with my own relatives. This usually happens when there is  SLIGHTEST, HINT, PROSPECT or CHANCE of a pipe-dream business becoming a reality - at least in the mind of the poor relative. For example, cousin Jun2x approaches me and asks if I am interested in financing his latest business scheme that will make us both uber rich. Of course, the Filipino part of me does not want to tell him that's an idiotic idea and that no way in Hades would i invest 10 pesos in it or that I know any proceeds from the biz will never find there way back to me. Rather, I say "I dont know" and "I am not sure" or "maybe I dont have that kind of money." Of course, this translates in my cousin's mind as "ah, i will be rich soon. I better get ready to spend the money." So, off he goes to tell the little lady how excited I am about the new business and how soon he will be buying her anything she wants. Then, the little wife says "hon, you know I am tired. Can you please let my cousin luv2x come stay with us and help with the house, the kids and the laundry? We only need to pay her small, and she dont eat so much." My cousin hastily replies, "Sure, gang. I love to do that for you." A few minutes later another child is conceived.

 

A couple of weeks passes and the cousin comes to me again and asks about the business venture. This time, I still dont say "NO" in a direct manner, but instead just say "well I dont have extra money for that kind of thing." Again, my cousin takes this to mean I am absolutely going to do it as soon as I get the money to capitalize the scheme - cause he does not really believe I dont have the money but maybe waiting for more information. Nor does he believe I am stupid enough to pass up a sure fire opportunity that will turn a few hundred thousand into a few hundred million - again, his thoughts only. A this point, my cousin's wife is still excited about her pending fortune, but asks about an allowance to buy some vegetables and rice. But, wait he gave her allowance for rice and vegetables a two days ago. That should have been enough to buy provisions for three days. Why is she asking for more after only two? Ah, he thinks "the yaya eats." But, oh well, everything will be ok soon. Still, my cousin instructs his wife to ask the helper not to eat so much so the budget to feed 4 for 3 days can now feed 5 for 3 days. Then, it's just a matter of time before it all spirals out of control. Ultimately, the yaya or maid gets the blame cause she is a glutton and as such should not dare ask for a salary.

 

Of course, the above situation is imaginary - to a point. The reality is that none of my cousins would approach me these days for this type of thing, as they know better and that it would just be a waste of bus, jeepney or tricycle fare. Still, I think this illustrates how these kinds of things do happen sometimes. Oh, and by the way, in the end, I am the bad guy cause I promised to help with the business and did not follow through. Funny how people hear things in the way that best suits the moment.

 

Now, in complete fairness, I do have relatives at the other end of the spectrum who are super-hard working, very proud and would never ask for a single peso unless the life or health of one of their kids was at stake. But then again, if that were the case, they would not need to ask; kuya kuripot would open up the coffers without hesitation. These relatives would also not waste money on a yaya or maid unless they had plenty to spare or the reason for the wife being out of the house or not working directly benefited the family in some tangible way.

Edited by JeSsDaDdY, Today, 11:34 AM.

   Hi JeSsDaDdY!  Thanks a bunch for your explanation of a Filipino way of thinking about this. Crazy as it sounds it makes a weird kind of sense to me now. Your description was so vividly transmitted that, in between laughing, I could actually picture some of my wife's relatives playing the parts you described. Abi nimo- there are so many instances that I have collected over the years that have completely eluded my understanding of the way Filipinos may think about things. Even my very intelligent wife sometimes hasn't an idea why some people do things in the Philippines. I think there's lots of material here for another post by someone? :hystery: Chris.McG.

[JJReyes]

"Yaya" in Greek is "grandmother." The Filipino meaning probably has it's origin from India where "aya" or "aaya" means "governess." It is considered a prestigious position in the Philippines among the poor since you are caring for the child of someone who is wealthy. It is presitgious because you will be fed and sleep comfortably, usually in the bedroom of the child you are caring. The yaya has a higher status than "katulong" or "helper." A yaya will correct you if you don't use the proper title. Sometimes you will also hear very wealthy families using the word, "Nurse" because they are either a certified nurse assistant (two years of medical school) or an underboard nurse (four years of medical school, but has not passed the nursing board exam). To distinguish themselves from yayas, they wear white uniforms similar to nursing school students. My familiarity with the subject is because I did a little bit of research about the yaya or nanny business about six months ago.

 

Now that I am retiring, business associates in California and Thailand have been trying to convince me to purchase an existing school in the Philippines for the training of nannies for deployment to the Middle East and Europe. The investment group will put up the money. It will be a 90 days training program. Unknown to many, Princess Diana had hired a Filipina nanny to care for Prince William and Prince Harry. It was in defiance to royal tradition of hiring an English nanny. The Filipina nanny is retired. She did receive an invitation from Prince William to attend the wedding. She had to pay for her airline ticket and stay. Someone from the investment group is trying to get her on board, but the retired royal nanny is reluctant. Apparently, her British pension is pretty good.

 

My reluctance to agree to the proposal is because the expectation is I will be running the school. My preference is to keep away from any project that requires managing personnel.

 

My retirement plan is one or two projects that will help supplement our retirement income and one or two charitable projects in the Philippines requiring only a minimal amount of out-of-pocket money. My wife is a volunteer yoga teacher for a senior group. She would like to continue and increase her volunteer time after retirement.

[relcarve25]

Posted Today, 04:11 PM  by J.J. Reyes

"Yaya" in Greek is "grandmother." The Filipino meaning probably has it's origin from India where "aya" or "aaya" means "governess." It is considered a prestigious position in the Philippines among the poor since you are caring for the child of someone who is wealthy. It is presitgious because you will be fed and sleep comfortably, usually in the bedroom of the child you are caring. The yaya has a higher status than "katulong" or "helper." A yaya will correct you if you don't use the proper title. Sometimes you will also hear very wealthy families using the word, "Nurse" because they are either a certified nurse assistant (two years of medical school) or an underboard nurse (four years of medical school, but has not passed the nursing board exam). To distinguish themselves from yayas, they wear white uniforms similar to nursing school students. My familiarity with the subject is because I did a little bit of research about the yaya or nanny business about six months ago.

 

Now that I am retiring, business associates in California and Thailand have been trying to convince me to purchase an existing school in the Philippines for the training of nannies for deployment to the Middle East and Europe. The investment group will put up the money. It will be a 90 days training program. Unknown to many, Princess Diana had hired a Filipina nanny to care for Prince William and Prince Harry. It was in defiance to royal tradition of hiring an English nanny. The Filipina nanny is retired. She did receive an invitation from Prince William to attend the wedding. She had to pay for her airline ticket and stay. Someone from the investment group is trying to get her on board, but the retired royal nanny is reluctant. Apparently, her British pension is pretty good.

   Well!- That disclosure of yours certainly elevated the subject of 'Yaya' to a whole different level. As of course you realise the original topic that I posted was primarily to deal with the broad concept of Yaya as it is used in present day Philippine society. The abused women that I commented about clearly did not belong to the servants of the 'super rich' class of society.(The children in their charge would certainly not have been sent to the same school as I could afford to send my son to.) I would submit that the term 'yaya', in everyday parlance today, has been hijacked by the poor and lower class masses and is loosely used to mean someone who looks after the children of richer people and who is often treated as a general servant or 'dogsbody' also. A slightly similar devaluation of meaning applies to the Japanese 'Geisha.' I believe that these ladies in traditional Japanese Society were highly respected and skilled in their craft but outside of that country many think the term Geisha synonymous with 'prostitute.'

 

   But turning to your very interesting and enlightening post, I was so stopped in my tracks that I did a little internet research myself.(Isn't the Internet wonderful?'- From what I can glean from a little research it would indeed be feasible to set up a 'Yaya Training School' in the Philippines. There are already at least 30-40 Agencies (Sulit) which claim that they can supply high class people for rich families. I dare say there are also many schools which CLAIM to be able to train yaya's. Worldwide there appears to be an expanding market for the supply of such servants to 'ruling' and incredibly wealthy families overseas. Also there has been for many years now a huge outflow of Filipina OFW's , all over the world, many of whom end up as 'nannies' or the equivalent of 'Yaya's.' However, from the little you have said, it seems like your school, if you were to manage it, would be aimed at the upper end of the market ie. to supply the incredibly rich and powerful Oligarchs who control the whole of the Philippines or else their equivalents in the Middle East, Thailand etc. A totally different ball game more akin to training the equivalent of the British Victorian 'Governess.' A highly educated woman who had a curiously invisible family presence- she had neither the background nor social connections to be FULLY accepted as a family member, but was also a cut above the other servants and 'nannies,' hence belonging in 'limbo.' Interestingly, to return to my 'abuse' topic, a number of Filipinos have posted articles claiming that the Yaya's working for the most privileged families inside their own country are often far more commonly abused than those working overseas? (Perhaps Saudi is an exception from the number of reported cases of abuse.)

 

   I wish you every success should you go against your 'gut feeling' about 'managing personnel.'  From a purely personal, ideological, perspective I want as little as possible to do with the immensely rich and powerful people who control the whole world- and cannon fodder like us who are tolerated only as long as we are useful. The VERY few such people that I have met have impressed me with their polite, but utter disdain, for people such as myself. Their world and mine might as well be in different Solar Systems for all they know or care about me and my way of life. I have no desire to participate in training a continuous supply of servants (slaves) to assist them to perpetuate their way of life. But, of course, my own prejudices are clearly showing here. 'To each his own,'- as the saying goes. Good luck!