FEMOCRACY AND HOME ECONOMICS 5

A PLACE IN THE GLOBAL WORLD

The fact that women now choose to vigorously compete with men for high- paying jobs has serious consequences in western societies. Birth rates are well below replacement level which means that not enough workers are being born to replace the ageing population, causing a massive labour shortage - another harsh reality of the downside of femocracy.

More and more developed countries have no choice but re-evaluate their immigration policies to address the issues mentioned above.  Added to that is the constant realisation that they have to compete in today’s global market. While it is true that a lot of businesses move overseas to countries like China for their cheap labour; resourceful countries find ways to take advantage of the new economic landscape by creating new markets and opening up to new opportunities.

In a country like Australia for example,  the steel mining industry was abandoned a decade ago. Due to the lack of demand, the industry suffered and most mining towns were deserted. But now it’s different; the mining industry is in boom again due to increased demand from China. More than half of the materials used in building China’s Auditorium for the 2008 Olympics are made from mineral- rich “dirt” from Australia. China’s construction industry will continue to grow till the next decade, maybe more,  and Australia is cashing in on that. With the increased interest and growing debate on nuclear energy, the mining industry (uranium) can foresee big opportunities. There is now a big demand for labour in the rebuilding of mining towns. The housing, hospitality and entertainment industries are benefiting from it too.

Another case is the wool industry. Wool producing towns suffered due to lack of demand for wool. Again, China’s cheap labour and the use of cheaper synthetic materials decreased the demand for Australian wool from lucrative fashion industry. Sheep farming towns resembled ghost towns as young people moved somewhere else for better employment. But now there are some dramatic changes. Researchers found that there is a big market for goat meat in the U.S. for the Mexican communities there. The wool producing towns are open for business again although now they are part of Australia’s lucrative meat industry, their sheep paddocks are now being used to raise goats. And it doesn’t end there, with the health risk surrounding pork and sheep consumption, i.e. high cholesterol content causing obesity, diabetes, and heart problems, the industry can see bright lights in promoting beef, goat  and kangaroo meat in Europe, Asia and Arab countries.

In cases like these where it is not possible to move the industry overseas, the only resort for them is to bring the labour force into the country.

There are so much rhetoric in the west about the plight of illegal immigrants and what to do with them, but unbeknown to ordinary folks, these immigrants are being used ( and abused) to help their economies. The United States for example have access to cheap labour from Mexico and other nationalities who risk their lives just to set foot in that country; illegal migrants’ labour is a billion dollar industry in the U.S. Rich European countries have access to cheap labour through the decendants of colonial Africa and Asia. They also have waves of illegal migrants from poorer southern European countries, Asia and africa. But Australia has none of that and does not have to resort to cheap labour to move on. 

Being an island continent, Australia successfully controlled the number of people entering the country. They can pick and choose whom they want to allow in, which is understandable as they want to maintain their high standard of living. But, in the 21st century, Australia realised that to be successfully favoured in the growing Asian market, they have to change their tune. Australia welcomed professional and skilled people, investors , brides, sponsored relatives to legally migrate but never opened its doors to contract workers until only very recently, just last year! Filipino workers were one of the nationalities they chose to come! That was just a trial and as far as I gathered through a reputable current affairs shows on television- “Sixty Minutes” and “A Current Affair”- their employers are very happy. “They are very hardworking, you can see the desire in their eyes; they just want the work;  I will have them anytime,” one of the employer enthused. I suspect that more and more job opportunities will be offered to Filipinos.

Already, there are calls in the media complaining that local labour will be disadvantaged as business owners given a choice will prefer cheap labour from other countries.  Politicians were quick to guarantee that contract workers will be given Australian minimum wages and they will not be subject to abuse. There are heated debates going on today whether opening the country to more contract workers is the way to go. The local labour movement are dead against it but big corporations like Mcdonalds expressed their desire to hire contract workers from the Philippines as opposed to hiring Australian teenagers who are supposed to be in college learning a trade or at universities.

There is no doubt that skills migration and opening the country to contract workers is the solution but to satisfy nationalistic concerns and queries both of the leading political parties came with a criteria as to what kind of people they should let in. The preferred factors are: skills and educational qualification, English language proficiency, ability to assimilate and acceptance of the Australian culture and values. Since Filipinos are known to have this desirable qualities, they should have no problem entering the country legally.   

This is a reflection of what is happening in the rest of the western world and  Non-English speaking developed countries. There is a labour shortage and they require skilled workers to keep going and compete. Labour exporting southern European countries like Italy, Greece and Spain hired Filipinas as domestic helpers decades ago while there where restrictive policies in western European destinations like Germany and France. Today, more and more Filipinos are hired in these countries with jobs not limited to domestic duties and with better workplace conditions. Thanks to the pioneers, Filipino nurses are in great demand in the US, and now Britain and Ireland too. I heard Filipinos are needed in Scandinavian countries too.

Filipinos, without a doubt, has a place in the global world. While people from poor countries have no choice but risk their lives in entering developed countries illegally, Filipinos are being offered jobs and are invited to enter countries legally. They have more choices of countries to go to and have access to different jobs. The only thing needed is for the Philippine government to do more in choosing the right countries, negotiate a fairer and secure deals for the overseas foreign workers (OFW) and actually do something to improve the process of training and hiring. The Philippine government should not send Filipinas to countries were women are treated like second class citizens, have no respect for individual rights and freedoms, or societies whose culture is very limiting.

FEMOCRACY AND HOME ECONOMICS 4

FILIPINA, I SEEK YOU

Women giving high priority to their career is the main cause of families breaking down in the western world. As a result some disgruntled men are looking for family- oriented women from different cultural background. The majority of those that westerners seek are Filipinas.

People’s perception of the Filipina vary from country to country, some of it  are very negative indeed. Most of it are classic stereotypes that  I mentioned in the first chapter of this series. But all that are changing.

Countries who hired Filipinas in their homes soon realised that they are decent people who wants nothing more than be given a chance to work and be paid inorder to support a family back home. They soon realised that since Filipinas are educated, religious, peace- loving and clean, they can be trusted to run their homes smoothly and with ease. In some non- English speaking countries, families intentionally choose a Filipina over other nationalities for a maid because they could double as tutors as they speak English fairly well, or better that they could.  Filipinas hardly complain and just concentrate on the work at hand. It has to be said that even though they sank in the bottom of the career ladder, they tried their best to just get on with it .

The fact that many countries wanted to hire more Filipinas signifies that we have good qualities that people want us to fill that need in their homes. People observe that  and may be one of the reason why a great number of Filipina maids became brides particularly in Canada and Italy.  I remember a series in “Wakasan”, a  magazine in the Philippines when I was in high school in the 80s, (my entrepreneurial brother Alex has komiks for hire sa tyangge).  The title has something to do with “langis at tubig” (they will never mix)  where the Italian “boss” fell in love with his niece’ nanny named Laura (a Filipina), and the girl’s name was Marnelli (if I remember it right). It was a cute little series, I was just reading it for the love story element of it and was completely naive of the Filipino psyche then. 

The fact that some western men fall in love with a Filipina or in many instances deliberately choose a Filipina for a wife angers some so called elite Filipinos. It is a total impossibility to them and they take it to themselves to find a reason why those men could possibly want a Filipina. They seem to apply a counter stereotype directed to the foreigners, like they are looking for ignorant women that they can abuse; they are looking for backward women that would serve and obey them; they are looking for workers to take care of their children and clean their house for free; they will insure the Filipina (get her a life insurance policy) , kill her and claim the insurance money afterwards; and the most gruesome one: they will kill her, chop her body, keep in the freezer and consume in the winter when food is scarce.

I wonder whether these ridiculous preconceptions has something more to do with our insecurities as a country. Having been colonised for so many years,  we may not feel comfortable being directly linked to former colonisers or people from superior societies as equals. Not  wanting to accept the simple concept that these men want a woman who would make a wonderful wife and mother to their children. Someone to share their simple dreams with. While these stereotypes are mainly directed to the foreigners, I, as a Filipina who married a “foreigner” could not avoid but feel affected by it, hurt even. I used to ask myself: Are Filipinas not good enough to deserve the attention of the then colonisers? Are we that insecure?

During the mid 90’s I attended a function which the mayor in the neighbouring town organised especially for the Filipino community as part of the town’s “Beef Week” celebrations (by Filipino community, I mean Filipinas as there are only 2 Filipino men here). The Philippine government bought heads of cattle from Australia to be transported to the Philippines. In the presence of the Philippine Ambassador to Australia, the local mayor has nothing but praise for us Filipino- Australians . He stressed that since Filipinas  are “westernised”, we have no problem assimilating in the Australian society. We are always participating in events, we bring Filipino foods to share and our culture makes it easy for us to adapt and conform. Unlike other nationalities, we are comfortable in our skin, always smiling and always happy.

One of the solutions that the New South Wales government thought of to meet the challenge of nursing shortage in Australia was to offer a three- year  nursing scholarships to all migrants. More than eighty percent of those who took advantage of it and were qualified were Filipinas. The positive result reflects the fact that most Filipinas already have a college degree from the Philippines, have a good command of the English language, passed the exams and interviews.

A hospitality scholarship course was offered in a local TAFE college for migrants to prepare for tourism boom in the area, again, more than half of those who enrolled and qualified for the course were Filipinas. Some of these Filipinas were already working as cleaners in hotels or motels, but given a chance, you can see the burning desire to go in there to move up and compete.

An Australian couple, both teachers in the local private school wanted to adopt a child. They chose a boy from the Philippines. The adoption was approved and a year later, they adopted another one, this time a girl. The went back to the same excruciating adoption process and now they are proud parents of two Filipino kids. When asked why they chose Filipino children, they said, “because there are so many Filipinos here, they will never be lonely here. There will be plenty of support from the Filipino community.”

If a westerner choose a Filipina for a wife, it has to be because of the positive reasons. We are family- oriented, highly- spiritual, values friendships and simple- minded. It is not because we are stupid, ignorant, subservient, nor docile. There are instances when Filipinas find themselves in an unfortunate situation but as far as I know, in the developed world, the percentage is very low. I know of Filipinas who divorced their husbands and knows what to do when things go ugly. Filipinas are generally shy and peaceful in nature but knows how to growl when provoked.

FEMOCRACY AND HOME ECONOMICS 3

US MIGRATION AND THE OTHER FACE OF THE FILIPINA

Filipino migration to the United States started way back during the era of colonisation. The Americans forced the Spanish out of the Philippines in 1898 and the new colonisers sent Filipinos to North America between 1901 and 1935. They mainly worked as errand boys, janitors and houseboys. During World War II, many of them served the US Army’s First Filipino Infantry Regiment.

Few decades after World War II, a lot of Filipino war veterans and their families were permitted to migrate to the United States. The presence of American Air Base in the Philippines also gave Filipinas a chance to migrate to the US and other allied countries as brides. They had very limited employment opportunities then and most if not all were subjected to racial abuse. We heard stories but we can not begin to comprehend the appalling treatment these pioneers had to endure before they successfully managed to adopt and assimilate to the American culture. 

Like typical Filipinos, they struggled to send their children to school. They believed that education is vital if their children were to survive and blend in to western culture. Many of these children, and their children afterwards, successfully finished their education and had decent work. They mainly found employment in industries dominated by women like nursing, teaching, child care, sales, hospitality, and factory work. Filipinas and other migrant women from different nationalities happily filled the available jobs that American women vacated to pursue better careers.

Today, there is no turning back for women in the developed societies. Their main role in society: homebuilding, care giving, raising and nurturing the next generation are all but marginalised. They argue that it is urgent and necessary to penetrate business and politics as they have social and emotional intelligence about interpersonal relationships that few men have. They claim that men are more interested in profits; they are convinced that women’s motherly qualities will put human and social concern on the agenda like children and women’s adverse conditions in other parts of the world.

While that is a valid enough reason, I tend to agree more on the notion that the real motivation is hard economics.  Now more than ever women find themselves driven by money, they simply cannot afford to stay at home . This may be due to the privatisation of health and education, the cost  of petrol, the continuing flow of digital must haves, the basic necessities of westerners like entertainment, recreation, travel; and the irrepressible urge to keep up with the Joneses e.g. second car, spa bath, pool, renovations, etc. etc.

This economic pressure is luring women to the top jobs. They don’t want just any job anymore; they are aiming for top- level, high- paying jobs that used to be dominated by men. Time is precious for high- earning busy career- women, the financial disincentives of childbearing have become so high that a great number of them now choose to shun marriage and baby- making altogether to concentrate on the pursuit of a career. The homes in the developed societies reflect the appetite of global capitalism for all talent, female and male, at the expense of the family.

Modern Filipinas are following that same path. Filipino- Americans as they rightfully call themselves successfully integrated and continue to labour and insist that young bloods attend colleges and universities and make something out of themselves. The same pride and conviction is shared by Filipinos in other western societies and in the Philippines itself. With the dawning of globalisation upon us, there is an assortment of employment opportunities for Filipinos worldwide from hard labour to top level jobs. Few Filipinos today are patiently breaking the grounds in higher education, medicine, law, engineering and business while many are successfully competing for top corporate jobs.

But while career divides homes  in western families, it has an entirely opposite result in migrant families. Through family sponsored migration, Filipino families reunite and help each other. Filipinas do not feel as much guilt and not suffer as heavy a consequence for pursuing a career compared to their western counterparts. They can look forward with confidence and go out there knowing that Nanay and/or Tatay, Mama and/or Papa, will be around to take care of the home front.

When competition in the femocracy is fierce and the going gets tough, Filipinas have large willing families to rely on.  Thus, the other face of the Filipina: qualified, capable, competitive, confident.

FEMOCRACY AND HOME ECONOMICS 2

INTERNATIONALISATION AND THE REDEFINING OF THE FILIPINA

Dirty politics, corruption, and  economic instability mired the nation. As a third world country, the Philippines suffered vast unemployment with no opportunity for its citizens. Under the Labour Export Policy of 1972, human labour became just another export commodity like rice and sugar. Eight million Filipino labourers were exported, the majority of them women to different parts of the world.

As western women climb the ladder of their careers, some governments tried to rescue the family and thought that a substitute caregiver would solve the problem. Some countries started recruiting highly educated professional women from the Philippines as live in nannies and domestic helpers. Some Filipinas seeing no prospect at home had no choice but grab the opportunity to find employment abroad. The Filipinas who may have “helpers” in their homes in the Philippines became helpers themselves in far- away lands.

As the country sank deeper in economic and political instability, more and more Filipinos especially women ventured for better opportunities abroad. Further dispersal of human capital  was favoured as the Philippine government heavily depended on the taxes and fees generated from overseas workers. The continued flow of cheap, highly educated labour in Canada, Singapore and Hongkong in particular and the plethora of charming young Filipinas entering Japan as entertainers influenced the perception of Filipinas in the eyes of western societies. New words were entered to the growing adjectives used to define a Filipina: cheap labour, obedient, timid, demure, exotic. 

The advent of internationalisation paved the way to degrading stereotypes that Filipinas were subjected to.

FEMOCRACY AND HOME ECONOMICS 1

Internationalisation, free trade, and technological advances brought about globalisation. A new frontier where information, capital and people move faster than ever thought possible. I cannot help but wonder the future that awaits most Filipinos as they surrender their fate to this emerging new world. I am particularly interested in exploring the plight of the Filipina, their poignant search for a better life, and the role that they will play in the global stage.

WORK AND FAMILY

Decades ago, women in developed countries have joined the work force and have been recognised as main contributors of economic advancement. Governments encouraged this by providing child care facilities and gave women lots of opportunities to build a career. As a result, the number of women in the workforce continued to increase. This was in part a reflection of the need for a second income in families, an assertion to escape from the routine of housework which had entrapped women of earlier generations,  and an expression of women’s right to self- determination. These new breed of women who today are called superwomen juggled work and family to prove themselves worthy of respect and equality with men. They chose to have a career, and at the same time maintained their role as homebuilders, caregivers and selfless contributors in the community.

As much as western women want to care for the family, the kitchen sink will have to wait as pursuing financial independence has become more important and on top of the agenda of the increasing group of ardent superwomen. Women in the west are finding roles in business and management, in all of the professions and in politics. And while they advanced in their careers something has to give; the family suffered. Governments recognised that superwomen proved to be a myth; the kind of being aspired to by many working women.

Filipinas live the financial independence of its western counterpart without any struggle. Feminism was not considered essential in the Philippines as elite Filipinas, the supposed movers of the feminist cause already enjoyed an esteemed status in Philippine society. A woman’s rights to legal equality, inherit family property, attend school and university have not been questioned. The presence of women in important positions is not new or unusual in the Philippines. The rumour that Imelda was running Malacanang in the later years of Marcos administration may not be far from the truth. It was customary for working men to give and surrender all the earnings to the wife who is in charged of the family purse. Women who can afford it strive to get an education, go to work or engage in business and at the same time maintain peace and harmony in the family. The burden of juggling family and work were made possible by the availability of relatives and servants who functioned as helpers in the Filipino homes. Women enjoyed greater equality in society than was common in other parts of Southeast Asia.