An average of 20 Filipino housemaids deployed in Eastern Province run away from their employers every month. “In the Kingdom, we can say that no less than 50 of these workers abandon their employers in a month,” a welfare officer of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), Philippine Embassy said. He said that in the entire country, the combined number of other foreign housemaids running away from their employers every month could be much higher than those of Filipino housemaids. “We expect that more housemaids will be running away from their employers before and after the month of Ramadan. The big workload during the Ramadan season is a factor that drives many household workers to leave their employment,” the welfare officer said. A labor attaché of an Asian country that has also a big number of household workers deployed in the Kingdom said that it is also the experience of his embassy during the advent of Ramadan to monitor and care for housemaids from his country running away from their employers. “The workloads mount beyond the capacity of these workers during the month of Ramadan. Work period starts from dawn to past midnight until the following morning; and abuse and maltreatment usually escalate during the season,” the Asian labor attaché who requested not to be named said. He said the practice by many Saudi families to loan their housemaids and other household helps, like drivers, to extended members of their families during Ramadan is another factor that encourages these workers to abandon their jobs. “This practice is not only illegal, but also a violation of human rights, a demeaning act,” he said. “With Ramadan coming in few weeks time, almost everyday now there are housemaids – household service workers – who are running away and seeking help of our embassy,” the POLO welfare officer said. He said that in their experience, those who did not have the chance to escape during Ramadan will do so after the season. According to labor and welfare officers in Asian embassies, housemaids and other household workers usually run away from their employers due to unpaid wages, delay in salaries, abuse and maltreatment, and overwork. “Two factors – wages and maltreatment – are major reasons why housemaids are abandoning their work during Ramadan. But the combination of these factors – the issue of wages, maltreatment, and overwork during Ramadan – only deepens the resolve of household workers to run away.” At the Eastern Province Social Center, where runaway maids are kept before being deported, there are always no less than100 housemaids from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka at a given time. These runaway housemaids have one of two options: reconciliation with their employers or deportation. Those who opt for deportation face another problem of producing their own air ticket. Runaway Filipina maids have become a burden on the Filipino community and to their embassy. Those scheduled for deportation have to produce plane tickets of their own because most employers refuse to provide the cost. “The inspiring thing is that the Filipino community is always there to support their deported, homebound compatriots by raising the cost of their travel back home,” the Filipino welfare officer said.
