A Filipino domestic worker who came to work in Hong Kong but was forced by her employer to serve in Shenzhen two years ago says she had to work 20 hours a day while in that mainland Chinese city.
Mary, 37, the mother of two children, recalled in an interview with Apple Daily that she had been sent to serve in a house in Shenzhen two weeks after she came Hong Kong in 2015.
Her employer, an elderly woman, acquired a multiple-entry visa for her, which allowed her to stay in mainland China for up to 15 days on each visit.
Initially, Mary had to go to work in a Shenzhen house between Friday and Sunday at least three times a month. She was ordered to do the household chores from 4am to midnight and was not allowed to go online or walk on the street alone. Later it was arranged for her to serve her employers’ relatives in different houses in Shenzhen.
She was once sent to take care of a young man in a hospital in southwestern Guangdong province for 21 days, making her husband in the Philippines very worried.
The situation lasted four months until Mary returned to Hong Kong and called for help from her employment agency. She said she was given a new employer after she threatened to report the case to the Immigration Department.
Mary said the Hong Kong government had the responsibility to stop these kinds of exploitation of domestic workers.
The interview was a part of a series of reports published by Apple Daily on Sunday about how domestic workers were forced to illegally work in China. In July, a 28-year-old Filipino maid jumped to her death from a building in Shenzhen after she was forced by her employer to serve in the southern Chinese city.
Eman Villanueva, vice-chairman of the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union, has estimated more than a thousand Filipino domestic workers hired to work in Hong Kong have been forced to work across the border in Shenzhen.
It’s over more from China here in HK abuse the Pilipino house maids please stop it
Philippine Consulate should be the first to insist this plea from OFWs. the office is not doing its best to talk with HK labour department to regulate the working hours and salary increase…ang tagal na ng problemang into..yet wala pa din satisfactory results
China immigration should not be approved the application of visa for domestic helper in Hong Kong,coz it’s a clear as of water that the domestic helper that brought to some parts of China is also will work there,those stubborn employer should be punish coz they were not followed the rules…
Most chinese are abussive hayy anywhere have abussive employer
yes…employers must follow also the rules or if what is in the contract..if the contract sign here in HK and the working place is here in HK why they should brought us/or some filipino workers in China…they already abuse if what is in the contract we and they agree..If HK is the workplace in the contract why immigration allow to give visa for the Filipino going to China…applying visa to china..one of the requirements is our contract…so STOP FILIPINO GIVING A VISA GOING TO CHINA…
What about other Pinoys na hilig lang mag tour at mag shopping sa China? Tourist Visa lang yun at hindi working visa. Kaya hindi dapat I stop Ang pagbibigay ng China Visa
Meliss Cutter , that’s illegal for domestic helpers like us. We are not allowed to take part time jibs. That’s punishable by law.
Leah Halili Romasanta , yung mga domestic helpers na kinukuhanan ng mga amo ng visa para makasama sa kanila sa China. Iba naman yung tourist visa dahil dun lang naman sa border di ba? Ipapakita mo lang naman passport mo kung magshoshopping ka lang.
lia halili romasanta common sense ang topic domestic worker
Ya..if maids refuse to go to mainland the employers stop them to work or terminate them,so the maids are forced to do so..the hongkong immigration should sent all employers to warn them..or the immigration should not allowed maids to go to mainland..
i my self experience that from the month of june and july this year. we go there friday morning till sunday night. bcoz my employer will staying in shanghai 4gud. so she bring me there to do general cleaning with the new house
Alma Garsuta pkbsa mo eto,,,,
Online sideline job
Yung laging Naka face book, pwedeng pag kakitaan na.pm.me.how I will guide you.
Dami dh sa hk tuwang tuwa pag may part time extra kita ilegal pala naman
All helpers should always learn how to take care of themselves, she should have reported this earlier to either the police or to the immigration authority. Sometimes we should blame ourselves not the police. The police had no idea that was happening. So let’s learn to communicate with other helpers so we can get help and support from them.
If you want change the victims must come out and file report with police and not with the agency. Find legal help from the support groups for Filipino workers in Hong Kong. Must speak out and have these people arrested for they will just do the same thing to the next helper if not arrested.
It was the helper`s problem also.If you know the law then don`t let the employer to do this.Explain to her/him .It happened to me few months ago but I told her this is against the Domestic law…and I told her that I will discuss about this matter with the immigration natakot ata sabi p nya just be quiet .????????????.We the Domestic helpers tayo mismo ang tutulong maputol ang gnitong klaseng kalakran ng mga employers…n dapat kasuhan din tlaga cla!…
For the hk govt..i know that all is fair with the justice that you have,,you just need to know whats happening to people that help hk to be one of the progressive places in the world
Meliss Cutter it’s a scam…i tried it…how come you need to order/buy something first?
bili.ka ng visa para mkapasok ng china tulad namimili s china tatlo kmi kc de pwede isa kalang tatlo tlga mura lng naman ttnungin ka ng tour guide s loob kung anu otas balik mu..yom lang pasok kna ng china..
iba din yong visa s mga nghahanap ng employer doon…
your right peace birunji..instead complaining, better report or stop doing what their boss wants, which u know its illegal…grrrrrrrrrrr we have the rights to do what is right.
Opo totoo yan… Pano po ba yan matitigil? Ako 6 months palang ako dito nag tratrabaho sa hk pero naka 4 entry na ako sa china.. Kasi bawat bakasyon nang mga bata naga punta kami sa china at naga stay nang 15 days doon
Dapat kc matigil n..kc wala pa akong 1 yr..ilan visa nakuha nila.sa 16 n entry meron na ata..di q n mabilang…
Dapat kc matigil n..kc wala pa akong 1 yr..ilan visa nakuha nila.sa 16 n entry meron na ata..di q n mabilang…