Arliza Canete, a migrant domestic worker, sits with her hands folded on her lap as she recounts her story.
She suffered from Bell’s Palsy last November and felt the weight of dealing with it while working away from home in the Philippines. But she wasn’t alone.
Mdm Tay, Arliza’s employer of 18 years, went above and beyond to help her. After hours of online research, she helped Arliza recover with the right food and medicine. She also kept physiotherapy open as an option if she needed it.
“I’m almost 100 per cent recovered because of the big help of my employers’ family. They really care,’’ Arliza said.
Arliza is also grateful for being welcomed into her employer’s family with open arms.
“They are a tremendous support for me. My employers, my Sir, and my Ma’am. They are really very good to me. And I value how they appreciate me and how they care for me. When my family came here for vacation, they embraced and welcomed them, and I won’t forget that,” she said.
Opportunities Bountiful Abroad
Arliza considers herself blessed to work with such a caring employer and attributes her financial savviness to the Centre for Domestic Employees’ (CDE) upskilling courses and Aidha’s financial literacy seminar.
Aidha is a non-governmental organisation in Singapore that provides financial literacy and self-development training programmes for migrant domestic workers. Attending the Aidha seminar enabled Arliza to start a small business in her hometown of Samar, the Philippines.
“Through upskilling, I have a small livelihood back in my hometown. It’s thanks to what I have learned, like how to manage finances,” she said.
Arliza was also one of the 1,000 MDWs who attended this year’s NTUC May Day Domestic Employees Celebration 2024.
The event saw CDE and the Healthcare Academy sign an agreement to develop a pilot program for eldercare training for migrant domestic workers.
Arliza wholeheartedly agreed that migrant domestic workers need to upskill themselves and take such courses offered by CDE.
“It is really good because it gives us skills to improve and enhance ourselves. The skills aren’t only for our use here; when we return home, we will already know how to handle the elderly. Upskilling is very important for yourself and the future.”
A Winning Harmonious Relationship
Arliza participated in the Harmony Through Our Lens photography competition, which was part of the NTUC May Day Domestic Employees Celebration.
The migrant domestic worker had snapped a selfie with her employer while testing out samples at Sephora on Labour Day last month. That selfie won first place.
“We were just having fun choosing lipsticks, and I took a photo of us. Then I dropped it in for the competition and called the photo Harmonious Relationship.”
Building a Community Away from Home
Despite being far from home, Arliza has formed lasting friendships with fellow migrant domestic workers, who join her in taking courses and volunteering.
“I have many friends. In CDE, we volunteer together and take courses. Courses like anti-scam and fire drill courses. Then, in Aidha, we will go for the videography course. We’re always together,” she said
Her socialising doesn’t only include her friends from CDE. Arliza also actively volunteers with ItsRainingRaincoats, a Singapore charity that aims to build a bridge between Migrant Workers and residents of Singapore. Every month, Arliza volunteers as a chaperone.
“When I get a day off, I’m volunteering. But I’m happy to help others.
“CDE is a huge help because I learned a lot from them. When I joined CDE, I learnt a lot and enhanced myself. I couldn’t have gone through training without them,” she said.