Filipino maid (domestic worker) Juliet Sagaysay is a nanny and a housekeeper
too. For the last 16 years Juliet has worked abroad: 14 of which she spent
as a domestic helper and 2 as a factory operator in Taiwan.
When she finishes her 2 years with her Singapore employer in Singapore, she
will be available for transfer.
Background
Juliet is from the Ilocano dialect group, generally considered hardworking
and thrifty. She is from a rural background where her father works on his
farm with his wife. She is 2nd among 4 children, the elder of 2 girls. Being
the elder girl, she often helped out in the housework when her mother was
busy in the field (especially during planting and harvesting time).
Juliet has got a good eduction: 3 years in college. She is a Secretarial
Graduate (2 years) and she has done 1 year of midwifery. Some of what she
learnt in midwifery school would be useful to a domestic helper who has to
care for or help to care for children.
Employment History
Juliet's healthy attitude to work can be assess from her work history.
- Her first foray into foreign employment was a 5-year stint with a
Filipino family in Hong Kong, from Dec 84 until Jun 89. She as a
companion-cum-domestic helper to an elderly person (who was not in the best
of health) whose husband was based in Hong Kong.
- After a gap of 3 years when she stayed at home with her family, her
children were still young. From Sep 92 until Sep 94 she worked in a
Taiwanese factory.
- Between 1995 and 2000 she worked in Taiwan again. One of her
duties was to take care of Madam's father in his seventies, a cancer
patient, on top of her normal housekeeping duties. Madam two teenaged
children were independent.
- After another break she went to Kuwait where she worked for a Lebanese
family for almost 2 years from Jan 06 to Nov 07. One of her duties
was care of a 3-year girl. Madam was working.
- Now she is in Singapore. Her 2-year contract is due to expire soon and
she will be available in mid-April 2010.
Childcare
Juliet has cared for a 3-year old in Kuwait. In her other situations, the
children were older and her major concern was housekeeping/care of an
elderly/ailing person. However, Juliet is no stranger to childcare as she
has 3 children herself.
Care of the Elderly/Sick
Juliet took care of an elderly woman (in Hong Kong) in her sixties who had a
heart problem. She was bedridden and depended on Juliet for her personal
needs. In Taiwan she took care of a cancer patient in her 70's. The patient
was mobile but needed help and Juliet helped him exercise.
Cooking
Much of her adult life Juliet was a housewife with 3 children to care for.
She cooked for them, Filipino food of course. In Taiwan she learnt to cook
Chinese food from her domestic employer (Job 3) for 5 years. In Singapore
where her employer is a Taiwanse cooking is one of her duties.
Personality
Juliet is unassuming, somewhat modest and soft-spoken. Her spoken English is
perhaps a little above average compared with other domestic workers from her
country. She has been able to provide information for this profile without
difficulty.
