I was watching the late night documentary show featuring a 19 year old helper who was maltreated by her “amo” (employer). The young girl was beaten up, full of bruises and wounds to different part of her body, her left ear was deformed. The lady employer even had the helper raped by their dog. I can’t imagine how the lady employer did these things, she’s inhuman in every sense of the word. The sufferings of the abused helper came to end when her co-helper went to abused helper’s family and eventually she was rescued by authorities. Tons of legal cases were filed against the abussive employers.

I remember our yaya (nanny) who already left us to start her own family last week. She’s with us for nine years, during that period we consider her part of the family. Imagine, she could have studying children now if she got married nine years ago. People have told me that we were lucky to have her. And I could say that she was also lucky with us as her employer. My dad told us (my sisters) when we were young that the root word of “katulong” (helper) is “tulong” (help), they are there primarily “to help” in household chores. He emphasized that helpers and slaves were two different words and meaning.

Anyway, she’s not just our yaya, she my youngest son’s playmate and second mom when I’m at work. She’s a friend to me as well. I was sad but I have to let her go for her own life. I just hope and pray that she’ll be happy with her married life.

yaya nanny pinoy