In Limbo

I am currently creating a documentary on migrant workers in Hong Kong, a photo-documentary of the lives of women domestic helpers.

We Filipino people are among our country’s most important commodities.  As Filipinos, we are prized for fluent English, and provide much of the temporary contract labor all over the world.  Over the years, overseas employment has become a pillar of the Philippine economy.  Needless to say, the Philippines most important export is its people.

Unfortunately, some migrant workers, particularly domestic helpers, are mistreated, victimized, or, in extreme circumstances, killed.  The purpose of this documentary is not to glorify or pity domestic helpers, but to explore and speak to the importance of their experience.

Most people do not realize domestic helpers are an integral part of most industrialized societies, such as Hong Kong.  For example, couples are capable of pursuing their careers because they have a house helper who may take care of both their children and their elderly parents.  Helpers maintain and manage their employers’ fixed assets, like homes and cars, preserving their usefulness and value. But because these women work in the informal sector of the economy, their contributions are not officially recognized. Their pay, below the minimum wage, reinforces their low social status and people’s negative perceptions.

My photo documentation will feature Filipina and Indonesian migrant workers and will be open for viewing by June.