Singapore cites 2 Pinays as outstanding domestics

Manila Standard Today
Mar 9, 2006

Singapore cites 2 Pinays as outstanding domestics

TWO Filipino maids have won top places in the Foreign Domestic Worker of the Year awards handed out by Singapore, a country not known for treating foreign domestics well.

Elizabeth Quiatchon and Marina Garcia took first and third place and received cash awards of S$2,500 (P77,500) and S$1,200 (P37,200), respectively.

An Indonesian, Fiatriani Supriyadi, placed second, Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Belen Anota said.

Anota said Quiatchon and Garcia defeated 300 other nominees in the contest. The Singapore government handed out 13 awards at the closing ceremonies.

Quiatchon has worked with her employer’s family for 19 years, and was cited for looking after its two sick members while attending to her household chores.

Garcia was nominated by her employer, Mae Heng, for taking care of her child stricken with Apraxia, a speech disorder. Garcia even took a sign-language course to communicate with her ward and helped out in the boy’s therapy.

Heng described Garcia as “very patient” with “a lot of initiative,” the Philippine Embassy said.

There are over 90,000 Filipino Workers in Singapore and most are maids.

But Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower has never recognized foreign domestic helpers as formal workers, depriving them of legislated rest days and annual leaves.

Singapore executed Flor Contemplacion on March 17, 1995, for killing fellow Filipina Delia Maga and her Singaporean ward, Nicolas Huang, despite strong appeals from the Philippine government. Ferdinand Fabella