Two months ago my aunt and I were both in need of house help. We contacted someone we trust for a referral. Since my aunt was the first to request, she got referral first. Mayeth “mai” Villasenor. 22, from Dumaguete. She was a cheerful, industrious person. Proactive and respectful and very hard-working. She was all that we needed for our home, too bad she’s for our aunt. She was with us for two weeks before we sent her to my aunt in Taytay. We really hesitated and wanted her for ourselves. Good news is that she recommended her sister and she said that she as good as her, probably better.
So we did. we sent her sister money for transportation and as advanced payment as requested, to leave to her family for expenses. We picked her up the pier, a very scary place. It’s like you entering a war zone. We brought Mai with because we don’t have an idea of how her sister looks like. When we got home, Mai lost her phone.
Ellen, her sister was the exact opposite. She looks like she’s had tough life. Skinned darkened from working under the sun, rusty colored probably from the same reason and she seemed like she has not eaten for a week. I was correct, she mentioned that a meal a day is all they get, mostly root crops. She’s works like a robot, you need to push her buttons to work, very different from what I expect from people from the provinces. They’re mostly hard working.
After a few days of working she is already complaining getting a lot of work and she wants to go home. Mai, on the other hand, contradicted what her sister claimed. She worked for us two weeks and she know that there not much to do. Ellen clarified that it was not the work, she misses her family. We decided to let Ellen go, we don’t want her working knowing that she’s not happy with what she’s doing. Mai agreed to pay for her sister transportation and the advanced payment.
I accompanied her to the pier half-pissed that she wasted the time and money spent just bring her over here in Manila. We were nice to her. We gave clothes toys for her kids in the province. We packed her food and groceries for her pasalubong. At home, my wife had already turned the house upside down looking for her mobile phone. We didn’t find it. Ellen was our only suspect because she’ll be going home with nothing but the pasalubongs and a few hundred pesos we gave her. It was there before she left.
All is forgotten now. We still in contact with Mai who claims that she was not able to contact her sister. We still are in contact with and she was paying her sister’s debt in installment. Until I received an SMS from my cousin saying that Mai left their home at around 2am while everyone is asleep and brought 14000 and his iPod with her. They weren’t able to contact her. We were caught off guard. We were very confident that she’s not that type. What made her do it? Were we deceived? Was being hardworking and all-smile part of her plan?
Memo to me:
- Check their bags before they leave.
- Even if they seem harmless, never let your guards down. Keep your valuables in a safe place and never let them show where you’re hiding them.
My daughter, Maki, is already turning 5 months and we still couldn’t a yaya to take care of her while me and my wife of us work. We only are relying on referrals from friends and relatives. It really is hard to find someone whom you can entrust your child with.
It’s really hard finding a decent house help nowadays. All my life, I gotten used to having one around the house. BUt, for the past year, we decided to do all the work ourselves and just delegate tasks. We’ve had too much of this unreliable people before so we’re a bit wary now. We even had this 2 house helps before who banded together to steal from us. It was just stupid of our neighbor who rents at our backyard to let them pass with a huge bag with them. LOL.
And, I agree. Don’t trust them ’til they’ve been with you for a decade or so. We always make sure we check their bags when they leave. And we keep our important belongings locked or with us all the time.
It is really so hard to find a trusty yaya these days. I am a work at home mom and I have twins that are turning a year old and a two year old daughter too. I am desperate to have a new household helper who will be able to help me take care of them and like you, we don’t know people from the province and we are relying on referrals from friends. I really wanted to have a new yaya so we asked the household helper next door to find one for us. After reading this however, I guess I am more convinced that I should care for my kids on my own…
I can so relate. Last year I had like 6 yaya/s until I finally got a good one, but it’s too early to tell, she’s been with us for just two months, but workwise she’s okay.
The last one didn’t leave a good impression, she left without telling us and worst, she had my cellphone with her.
So, just beware, these probs are very common.
dapat di nalang siya nagYAYA kung reklamador siya:)
sabi nga nila, charge nalang natin ito sa experience….
tama! wala sa loob nya ang magtrabaho. paralang syang nagbakasyon for two weeks, all expenses paid with pocket money and pasalubong.
It was our first time to get a yaya. My son didn’t have one because my wife didn’t have work then(by choice). we’ll be very careful in choosing next time.
Given the chance, my wife also wanted to take care of our kids herself. If only we could afford to have her leave work.
We really didn’t expect it, we were thinking na baka nasululan ng mga boylets. Same thing happened, hinayaan din ng neighbor and nagbigay pa nang instructions on how to get to the terminal
I wonder how many yayas we need to go through before we get the right one. Someone like ate Sharon Cuneta’s, hehee
We were supposed to get a yaya too, although both hubby and I are working from home. We changed our minds, not because of horrible experiences but we wanted to save ourselves the hassle of training her, and then end up just like what most of the people these days seem to go through — a yaya who either hurts the child, steals from the family, or worse, kidnap pa the child. I am thankful that even though the 2 maids were able to steal from you, you and your family are safe. We never know what these people are capable of doing. I don’t know what’s wrong with yayas and maids nowadays. Me personally, I can remember my own yaya, “nanay” as I fondly called her. She was with us until I was in high school. More than a decade of good service and genuine love and concern for me. Sayang noh? Wala na atang ganyan ngayon. San kaya sila nagpunta?
mahirap na talaga kumuha ng yaya even yung mga nasa agencies are hard to trust. I remember someone told a story about a yaya na pinagpaalam nya ilalabas nya lang yung bata, then di na bumalik. Very scary
i agree, finding a yaya is so hard! kahit you get from agencies, you can never tell what they are capable of.
great daddy blog btw!
Thanks. We’re still waiting for another yaya referred by a relative. I just pray that we she’s good.