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

[MacBubba]

Still a notch above the yaya is the "mayor doma".  She runs the household, overseeing cooks (by the way, an excellent cook is also ranked above a yaya), the drivers, the yayas, the regular maids and gardeners. 

[Bruce]

and cannon fodder like us who are tolerated only as long as we are useful.

 

Well said! A man has to know his place........ :mocking:  :dance:  :hystery: Although I never did meet Ted Kennedy or a Rockerfeller et al, I was always ready with my plan to drop to my knees and wrap my arms around his legs whilst yelling loudly... DAD! Why did you leave mom and me?

 

Sadly, with the development of DNA, my plan has been thwarted.

 

And thanks guys for the new term Mayor Doma that I can use with my helpers......... They already make fun of my out of text use of Pinoy words......

[MacBubba]

Sorry, my wife has just corrected me.  Mayordoma is one word.

[JJReyes]

I have also, in my time as a teacher, worked in several British Colonies where the 'Colonial Mentality' was rampant, and British people were expected to have servants. Naturally I have read of the all too many cases of 'servant abuse' which have, and still are, taking place around the world. Rich Arab and Chinese employers seem to be some of the worst. To get to the main point- and this is where the 'YaYa' comes in- I would like to ask people what they think about the 'Domestic Worker' situation in the Philippines. I suspect that this will be a somewhat 'polarising' topic as there will be many who support, and many who decry the concept. YaYa's first really came to my attention when our son started going to a private school in Cebu. Every day dozens of YaYa's, and drivers, spent almost the whole of the school day sitting around gossiping and I was told that they were there in case the child in their charge needed anything. At first I thought that this was 'money for nothing' but as time went on I saw another side to it. There were many rich Filipino parents and many of their children were fat and incredibly lazy. When they came out from school they would throw their heavy bags at their YaYa and shout at them. The usually diminutive servant had to try to carry the bag.

 

As a newly married couple, my wife and I lived with my parents in a family compound located in Pasay City. We had separate living quarters, which gave us some privacy. As was the custom then, lunch and dinner were with the rest of the family around a huge round table with a lazy susan. The household staff numbered 15 and my wife, an American of Japanese ancestry, quickly observed that the system was very inefficient. She commented to my father that a few modern appliances could reduce the staff by one half. For example, the floors were mahogany requiring someone to continually polish using coconut shells. An electric floor polisher would be more efficient. There were three "lavanderas" or clothes washers when one would be sufficient if you purchase a modern washing machine.

 

My father, who had traveled extensively all over the world, explained that the ineffiicency was necessary to provide employment. If you terminated the two lavanderas, how would they feed themselves and their families? Termination would be devastating because there is no unemployment insurance or a government welfare system. To a Westerner, it may appear as abusive behavoir to have someone wait all day outside of school to carry a child's school bags and wipe perspiration from their foreheads. If you look at it from the perspective of providing employment for the poor, then it is a different story. It's a way of helping those who are less fortunate.   

 

Which is the preferred system? Someone living in the United States and the United Kingdom receiving welfare checks from the government to spend on booze and cigarettes, while constantly complaining about the lack of generosity by the government (taxpayers)? Or a Filipina grateful to have a job, any job, which includes a roof over her head and meals? It appears demeaning from a Western perspective, but I don't think the yaya or helper sees it that way.

[Bruce]

If you look at it from the perspective of providing employment for the poor, then it is a different story. It's a way of helping those who are less fortunate.

 

There was documentary of rich old dead guys in America in the 1900's. One of which was in Boston (I think) who had huge caverns helow his house. In those large rooms he had thousand of bricks. All through the depression, he paid a crew of men to move the bricks from one room to another, clean them and stack them. When all the bricks were moved, he had them move them back again.

 

Same good logic you father used. Allowed the men to work and not be on a hand out for living.   

[JJReyes]

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!

 

Rather than a flat, "No." to the investment group, I am trying to get them to look at an even larger market. American baby boomers are retiring at the rate of 10,000 per day and sometime during the remaining years before they expire, 70% will need caregiver services. Other industrial nations like the United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, Ireland, Australia and New Zealnad also have large numbers of aging baby boomers. Japan actually has the world's largest senior population. Philippines has immediately available some 400,000 unemployed and underemployed nurses. It's still a nanny business except the care is for the elderly rather than children.  

 

My preference is not to focus on the disparity between the haves and have nots. That's a complex issue beyond my ability to offer pragmatic solutions. Besides, who would listen to me? I have reached an age where a protracted debate on such a topic is no longer fun.

 

If I were a very wealthy man, which I am not, would it be okay to distribute my money through philantrophy in the Philippines? My answer to the hypothetical question is, "No." I am against the Western concept of handouts or welfare. Filipinos would prefer gainful employment, in my opinion, even if many in this forum have experienced requests for money from relatives and complete strangers. Maybe foreigners in the Philippines have a reputation, from those who came before you, of being a soft touch.

 

Come to think of it, very few in the Philippine have asked me for money. Hurrah! I have achieved that elite status of being known as a tightwad, a miser, a scrooge. Still, I am trying to find a way to help the poor so long as it does not involve the taking of money from my pocket. 

Edited March 17, 2013 by JJReyes

[relcarve25]

I have also, in my time as a teacher, worked in several British Colonies where the 'Colonial Mentality' was rampant, and British people were expected to have servants. Naturally I have read of the all too many cases of 'servant abuse' which have, and still are, taking place around the world. Rich Arab and Chinese employers seem to be some of the worst. To get to the main point- and this is where the 'YaYa' comes in- I would like to ask people what they think about the 'Domestic Worker' situation in the Philippines. I suspect that this will be a somewhat 'polarising' topic as there will be many who support, and many who decry the concept. YaYa's first really came to my attention when our son started going to a private school in Cebu. Every day dozens of YaYa's, and drivers, spent almost the whole of the school day sitting around gossiping and I was told that they were there in case the child in their charge needed anything. At first I thought that this was 'money for nothing' but as time went on I saw another side to it. There were many rich Filipino parents and many of their children were fat and incredibly lazy. When they came out from school they would throw their heavy bags at their YaYa and shout at them. The usually diminutive servant had to try to carry the bag.

 

As a newly married couple, my wife and I lived with my parents in a family compound located in Pasay City. We had separate living quarters, which gave us some privacy. As was the custom then, lunch and dinner were with the rest of the family around a huge round table with a lazy susan. The household staff numbered 15 and my wife, an American of Japanese ancestry, quickly observed that the system was very inefficient. She commented to my father that a few modern appliances could reduce the staff by one half. For example, the floors were mahogany requiring someone to continually polish using coconut shells. An electric floor polisher would be more efficient. There were three "lavanderas" or clothes washers when one would be sufficient if you purchase a modern washing machine.

 

My father, who had traveled extensively all over the world, explained that the ineffiicency was necessary to provide employment. If you terminated the two lavanderas, how would they feed themselves and their families? Termination would be devastating because there is no unemployment insurance or a government welfare system. To a Westerner, it may appear as abusive behavoir to have someone wait all day outside of school to carry a child's school bags and wipe perspiration from their foreheads. If you look at it from the perspective of providing employment for the poor, then it is a different story. It's a way of helping those who are less fortunate.   

 

Which is the preferred system? Someone living in the United States and the United Kingdom receiving welfare checks from the government to spend on booze and cigarettes, while constantly complaining about the lack of generosity by the government (taxpayers)? Or a Filipina grateful to have a job, any job, which includes a roof over her head and meals? It appears demeaning from a Western perspective, but I don't think the yaya or helper sees it that way.

     Don't get me wrong- I am not against people being employed in what others may see as a servile, menial or otherwise socially unpopular form of labour. I hope I am realistic enough, in spite of personal prejudices, to understand that the world has always been driven by the 'have- have not' dynamic. I, too, have passed through the stage of wondering about the seemingly amazing Philippine tolerance for inefficiency- the endless waiting at every Government office, bank, electricity company etc. How it seems to take 3 or 4 people to do work that could easily be managed by one. I also understand that to a vast number of Filipinos almost any job is better than having none. I'm sure that, with the work 'ethic' I was brought up with I would feel the same myself. I also deplore the laziness and 'free hand out culture' which you so rightly say is prevalent in the UK. It appals me that people in my country have sunk so low- and I actually admire the way that most Filipinos retain their desire to work to support their families. 

 

   Perhaps I have not come over as feeling this way in my posts but what I was genuinely curious to find out was if the 'snapshot' I had gained of what I still see as manifest abuse of Yaya's- by spoiled, privileged brats- was commonplace. As people have pointed out such behaviour by children is usually conditioned by the attitudes and actions of adults.

    I DO NOT consider, from your description of how your father employed what many would see as excess servants, that he was being anything other than a generous and understanding employer- like my own father. I would only call it wrong if, as I am quite sure was not the case, it involved physical, mental or sexual abuse towards the employee.

 

 To a Westerner, it may appear as abusive behavoir to have someone wait all day outside of school to carry a child's school bags and wipe perspiration from their foreheads

 

To be fair to me this is not a complete quotation. The abusive element in my post was the using of the yaya as a footstool and having to wipe the backsides of grown up adolescents- as well as them being shouted at and demeaned in public.

   I hope that I've clarified my position a bit better and assure you that I had no intention of attacking people like your father. If it appeared to you that I was trying to do so I apologise.

[relcarve25]

Rather than a flat, "No." to the investment group, I am trying to get them to look at an even larger market. American baby boomers are retiring at the rate of 10,000 per day and sometime during the remaining years before they expire, 70% will need caregiver services. Other industrial nations like the United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, Ireland, Australia and New Zealnad also have large numbers of aging baby boomers. Japan actually has the world's largest senior population. Philippines has immediately available some 400,000 unemployed and underemployed nurses. It's still a nanny business except the care is for the elderly rather than children.  

 

   Glad to hear about this greatly enlarged concept. You are certainly correct as to the increasing need for the 'baby boomer' population to be catered for and any way that this can be done by using a large surplus of labour from countries like the Philippines- if this is done in a well regulated way so as to ensure that the 'carers' are given the same rights and protection as those that they care for- will be a great boon to all concerned. The 'SHAME' is that in countries like the UK we are not prepared to try to care for our own as too many consider this to be a 'demeaning' job. Chris McG.

[Bruce]

I bought maybe 10 years ago long term care policy. Maybe $900 a year and provides a minimum $100 a day in cash benefits and a yearly increase beyond that.

 

In the US, that would buy me maybe 5-7 hrs in a facility each day. In Phils, IF I were able to get the benefit while here, would more than pay for quality care.

 

I see only one flaw in JJ's thinking and that is timing. He is 1-2 generations too soon for 'the masses'. All else is sound thinking and financially reasonable. With the future generation(s) of SKYPE and similar things and a population either born into such devices or having used such devices for so long as to make them comfortable, moving 12,000 miles (for me) away is not a real concern. 

 

The family dynamatics are changing and not for the better. While my parents generation would struggle with the thought of sending their parents away..... my kids generation has no such issues. Whites used to be the largest nursing home populationt because 'we' found it easier to pay for care then to do it ourselves. The Black family dynamatics brought their elderly into their childrens home. No so much any more.....

[robert k]

I had considered hiring a yaya for myself before I knew I would have someone waiting. While I have tried to acquaint myself with knowledge and customs I am sure to encounter there are probably going to be gaps. Who better to steer me clear of trouble than someone used to guiding children. She could call herself social or protocol secretary, whatever suits. I had in mind some formidable old biddy with a stick to give me a good whack with if, more likely when I blunder. :no:  Probably much comic relief involved but the job would be real. It seems to me they could be a valuable asset when you are deposited into an environment where you no longer have instant acess to anything you may need through your smart phone. I still have it in mind if things don't go as planned.