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The Case of the Filipino and Indonesian Domestic Helper Market

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The Case of the Filipino and Indonesian Domestic Helper Market P O L I C Y A N A L Y S I S E X E R C I S E MANAGING LABOUR MIGRATION: The Case of the Filipino and Indonesian Domestic Helper Market in Hong Kong Client Organization: Mr. Manolo Abella, Chief Technical Adviser Asian Regional Programme on Governance of Labour Migration, International Labour Organization PAE Faculty Advisor: Prof. Jacqueline Bhabha PAC Seminar Leader: Prof. Mary Ruggie Prepared by: Emilyzen Ignacio and Yesenia Mejia Masters in Public Policy Candidates, 2008 April 1, 2008 (Illustration: © Dina Ionesco/IOM, 2007) TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...............................................................................................................1 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................2 1.1 Methodology ........................................................................................................................2 1.2 Framework ...........................................................................................................................3 1.3 Findings................................................................................................................................3 1.4 Recommendations ................................................................................................................5 2. RESEARCH AIM .......................................................................................................................6 3. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................................8 3.1 Survey questionnaire............................................................................................................8 3.2 Informational interviews ......................................................................................................9 3.3 Limitations ...........................................................................................................................9 4. BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................................10 4.1 Hong Kong’s foreign domestic helper market today .........................................................10 4.2 Government policy towards foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong...............................12 4.3 Restrictions on FDHs in Hong Kong .................................................................................13 5. FRAMEWORKS.......................................................................................................................14 5.1 International frameworks and standards: a human rights focus......................................... 15 5.2 A changing context: a need for a new framework .............................................................16 5.3 Policy analysis framework .................................................................................................17 6. FINDINGS & ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................18 6.1 Foreign domestic helper demographics..............................................................................18 6.2 Pre-departure: Required interactions with migration infrastructures................................. 20 6.3 Awareness ..........................................................................................................................22 6.4 Training centers..................................................................................................................22 6.5 Main employment concerns ...............................................................................................23 6.6 Contract violations .............................................................................................................24 6.7 Food, health and accommodations.....................................................................................26 6.8 Migrant rights.....................................................................................................................28 6.9 State and social networks ...................................................................................................29 7. RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................................................................................................30 7.1 Addressing top FDH concerns in Hong Kong ...................................................................30 7.2 Further hypothesis testing ..................................................................................................31 ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................33 GLOSSARY..................................................................................................................................34 REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................35 ANNEX I.......................................................................................................................................38 PHILIPPINE MIGRATION INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................38 ANNEX II. ....................................................................................................................................42 INDONESIAN MIGRATION INFRASTRUCTURES............................................................42 ANNEX III...................................................................................................................................45 STANDARD EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT………………………………………………..45 ANNEX IV....................................................................................................................................49 ENGLISH VERSION: Questionnaire: Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong...................49 ANNEX V.....................................................................................................................................55 BAHASA INDONESIAN VERSION: Questionnaire: Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong..........................................................................................................................................55 ANNEX VI....................................................................................................................................61 CONTINUED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HYPOTHESIS TESTING..............................61 4 OFW 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our client, Mr. Manolo Abella at the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Without his generous support and that of the ILO, this project would not have been possible. It is our hope that this report will be of use to the ILO and their continued efforts to provide decent work for all, particularly migrant workers. We would also like to thank the Ash Institute of Harvard University whose generous funding allowed us to travel to Hong Kong to interview the subjects of this study – Filipino and Indonesian foreign domestic helpers – enhancing our understanding and hopefully that of our readers on this growing governance dilemma. We also acknowledge and thank the following people for their contributions to this project: To our faculty advisory committee—Professors Jacqueline Bhabha, Mary Ruggie and Julie Wilson—we remain grateful for your encouragement, guidance and support. We would also like to acknowledge Professor Martha Chen whose networks in international migration made our client engagement possible. To our networks in Hong Kong—Our field work in Hong Kong went smoothly thanks to the help of the numerous NGOs and CSOs we met on the ground. In particular, infinite thanks to: Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, Ario Adityo, Ade “Ipang” Ahmad, Dolores Balladares, “Gi” Estrada, Eni Lestari, and Mia Sumiati who provided us a window into the often overlooked hardships female foreign domestic helpers face; facilitated the administration of our survey; and linked us to a wider network of migrant organizations. To our survey translators—Ludi Mahadi, David Ng, Ray Parsioan and Ahmad Shariff—your translations allowed us to include dozens of first hand accounts of Indonesian foreign domestic helpers into our findings, giving life to their struggles. To our personal support networks—your encouragement, love, and understanding proved invaluable. Notable thanks to Roy Cervantes whose patience, ability to make pivot tables fun and fresh feedback should not go unmentioned. To our families—we thank you for providing constant mental nourishment and your migrant experiences that inspired us to undertake this research. Our final thanks go to the countless female foreign domestic helpers who courageously shared their stories (and only day off) with us in hopes that other migrants will not have to experience their struggles. This is dedicated to you. SALAMAT PO. TERIMA KASIH. THANK YOU. Managing Labor Migration 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Over the past two decades, gross labour emigration rose at an annual rate of 6 per cent for the Asian region as a whole. This would make the growth of labour migration over two times faster on average than the growth of the labour force of the origin countries 1. While labor migration has demonstrated numerous benefits—such as the economic development of sending and receiving states—it also carries hefty costs to those who cross borders for
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