The origin of Filipino maids

Twenty-eight years ago, due to the domestic economic downturn and the breeding of political opposition, Philippine strongman President Marcos opened the door to allow and encourage his people to work overseas, hoping to improve people's livelihood at home and ease political pressure. Since then, OFW, an overseas Filipino, has gradually become an indispensable role in Philippine social life. Among them, Filipino maids have become a bright spot in the international labor market.

The Philippine government attaches great importance to overseas workers. Every Christmas, when migrant workers concentrate on returning home to visit relatives, the government will lay a red carpet for them at the Capital International Airport and set up a special fast track. The president and officials from overseas labor and welfare departments will also hold a special welcoming ceremony.

In addition to maids, overseas workers in the Philippines also include male technicians, seafarers and construction workers. Remittances from these overseas workers are an important and stable income for the Philippine government, and overseas workers have thus become the "new heroes" of the country. Statistics show that during the period of 1999, the Philippines received 6.79 billion US dollars of remittances from overseas workers through legal channels, exceeding 8 billion US dollars in 2000/kloc-0 and 2002, accounting for more than 5.6% of the GDP.

Therefore, calling OFW the "new hero" of Philippine national economy is by no means a compliment. Protecting the rights and interests of overseas workers has always been one of the three major foreign policies of the Philippines. Protecting the rights and interests of maids is a top priority. The Philippines once clashed with neighboring Singapore for protecting the rights and interests of domestic maids, and the relationship between the two countries was once tense.