14 August 1998

Dear Friends,

A dictionary in Greece was reported to have defined a Filipina (or 'Filipineza') as a "domestic worker from the Philippines or a person who performs non-essential auxiliary tasks". This discovery has caused an uproar in Philippine diplomatic circles, and a debate within the Philippines.

In order to get a better perspective on this issue, I asked Joe Valencia, who has been working for more than a decade to advance the rights and welfare of the Filipinos and Filipinas in Greece, what he had to say about this issue.

Valencia called the uproar in the Philippines over the dictionary definition a "kneejerk reaction to something that one needs to be more cerebral about."

"The kneejerk reaction from the Philippine government makes us a laughing stock. In Greece, every rich Greek has a Filipina or two. No amount of diplomatic protest can change that image, because the reality is that as long as the Philippine government continues with its policy of exporting human resources (including domestic workers) the image will prevail.The issue at stake is why in heaven's name do we have such an image for our women.

"A dictionary is supposed to reflect present reality. This is the reality. It has been there for decades, since the Philippine government started its policy of exporting "human resources". Some time in 1991, members of Parliament belonging to the New Democracy Party revolted against their party leader, saying "we are not your Filipinezas!" My reaction was to write a protest letter. Then I realized that no amount of protest can change the situation. Everytime you call an MP at home, a Filipina answers the phone. The word Filipina has come to mean someone who not only comes from the Philippines, but someone who does domestic work in Greece. THAT IS THE REALITY.
"Philippine women in Greece work as domestic workers, except perhaps the Filipina staff at the Philippine embassy in Athens, who have Filipina domestics working for them.

"The Philippine government can ill afford the luxury of spending time protesting a dictionary definition. Because the Philippine government is the no. 1 exporter of domestic workers of the world.

"Fighting over a dictionary definition distorts the real issue. It is at best hypocritical to protest a dictionary definition, which is just telling the truth."

Valencia stressed that: "instead of making a diplomatic protest, the Philippine embassy should spend more time to INITIATE with the Greek government the demand of (Filipino) migrants in Greece for a bilateral agreement, which will effectively protect their rights. The Philippine embassy has not only been foot-dragging on this issue but have not done their job."

"The reason behind this emotional kneejerk reaction is that the Philippine Embassy personnel are ashamed that their compatriots are domestic helpers... But is there anything shameful about being a domestic worker? "Yes, I am a domestic worker," says Elizabeth, "it is an honest job.

"It is something to be proud of. The job of a domestic worker is a position of TRUST, of respect and RESPONSIBILITY. When an employer gives the keys of his home to a Filipina, it means that there is a commitment of confidence, something that is not easily entrusted to anybody.

"We are proud of Filipina domestic workers who have been trusted by employers to take care of their homes while they are away, to take care of their children and the elderly. Who have been sending billions of dollars to the graft/corruption-ridden (Philippine) economy?

"Yet when a professor tells the truth about ourselves, we get offended, we cry foul, because he dares to say the truth. And indeed, truth hurts, especially when it concerns ourselves."

The flaw that Valencia sees in the dictionary definition is when it defines the domestic helper's task as "non-essential". Based on their experience, domestic workers have a big contribution to the Greek society and economy. "Imagine businessmen and members of Parliament, even middleclass Greeks would not be able to do their work if the trusted Filipineza is not there to take care of their children, their elderly."

For Valencia, the main issue is why millions of Filipinos are forced to go abroad to seek work. He says that "if the Estrada government generates and creates jobs with decent salaries (equivalent to the salary of a domestic worker in Greece), the domestic workers working in Greece will not have to leave their loved ones in the Philippines. But there are at present millions of unemployed in the Philippines, and every Filipina dreams of going abroad to find any job, including domestic work. And the head of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) is scouting for overseas jobs from the desert sands of the Middle East to the North Pole to find job placement for the millions of unemployed !"

"The big question now is what is the Philippine government doing in order to change this situation to a more favorable one. The Philippine government has to address this issue. When it has effectively answered the question, by providing jobs to our women, then we can ask Professor Barbiniotis to change the definition to something more pleasant to our ears, something ennobling to our pride.
Until then, it is hypocrisy."