A 53-year-old Singaporean woman wrote to a local newspaper questioning whether it was legal for remittance firms to lend domestic workers money to make remittances that they might struggle to repay.
The woman surnamed Chen told Shin Min Daily News that her 27-year-old Filipina maid, who has worked for her since March 2017, took a 12-day annual break to return home to the Philippines.
Prior to the vacation, the Filipina secretly borrowed from at least five remittance shops without informing her employer.
Chen only became aware of the situation in August when she received calls from moneylenders who demanded her employee settle her debts as soon as possible. Some monelenders even visited the employer’s home and sent bills to her, prompting the employer to file a case with the police.
She also confronted her worker who, after initially denying taking out loans, finally admitted that she borrowed a total of nearly S$6,000 (US$4,363) to buy gifts for her family and to treat them to an expensive dinner at a hotel when she was home.
Chen said that although her worker regretted her actions and promised to settle the debts, the sum involved was exorbitant, and would take her a very long time to pay back.
She speculated that her worker might have fallen victim to compatriots working with illegal money lenders, encouraging her to borrow from multiple outlets at the same time, Chen added.
Meanwhile, reporters visited one such remittance shop, where a female customer – a domestic worker in Singapore – said the business offered money transfers in advance of up to S$2,000 (US$1,454), half of which had to be cleared in four months, plus interest of S$350.
Yan ks utang ng utang para ipakita lng na may pera syang galing abraod,,like 1day.millioner,,pagblik sa abroad 0balans may ntrs pa,,
Kahit walang pera pag uwi basta walang utang. …
Hindi masamang umutang kong talagang kinakailangan kagaya ng pagka ospital or namatayan ang anak asawa or magilang.yong kaya mong bayaran at wag takbuhan.pero kong payabang lang isip din minsan.
Minsan kc matuto tyo kung ano meron tyo yon lang… pero pag kaya namn sige lang bsta wag lang umutang to the point na wala ng matira syo at wala ka na maipapadala… masarap magbakasyon wag na magpasalubong ng bongga…yong needs lang treat them sa jollibee ok lang un…
Age doesn’t matter when it comes to love….this is reality…
Too bad.???????????? Wants is quite far than our needs.just saying.
Yabang pa more
Sorry but a common practices to OFW specially during the later years but if you are receiving more than enough in a month maybe it’s just find to treat them normally without having to sacrifice your hard earnings but in my case though I am receiving 12x the salary of DH I don’t treat lavishly at home just a dinner n some drinks to offer (kong may bisita) and sometimes with small token. And while staying abroad my life is normal no lavish dinner though sometimes I visit good restaurants but in usual way I ate at public market or I bring baon in my work. The reality of some people who are working abroad are living beyond their salary can offer or just simply saying TH, kaya pag magholiday uutang to augment their take home karamihan pa dyn may Paluwagan. I am not here to blame dahil Karapatan nila yon napaguusap lang so I give my piece. Cheers!!!!
masyado ksing sosyal ang ibang pinay gling abroad,ayw kc nlng ipkta sa mga tao na hrap ding mgwrk sa abroad.nagttrabjo tau sa abroad pra sa pamilya ntin nd ang ipanlilibre ntin sa mga tao.pra mkilala lng tau.pg naghrap ka kya matutulungan ka nla.hnd panonoorin klng nla
khit umutang ka basta alm mo lng ang obligation mo na mgbyad pra hnd nmn trouble sa mga amo.