Number Of Teachers Working As Domestic Helpers Abroad Already Alarming, Said DepEd Secretary

It is evident that the salary of teachers in the Philippines is much lower compared to the salary abroad. This could be the reason why Filipino teachers prefer to work outside the Philippines.

However, what’s totally alarming is the growing number of teachers working as domestic helpers abroad. The Department of Education (DepEd) already showed their concern over the matter.

Though there are teachers who already know that they will be working as domestic helpers abroad, there are also some who were promised by their recruiters a teaching job abroad yet end up working as domestic helpers.

Considering the fact that they already took loans just to land a job abroad, these teachers are forced to work as domestic helpers in hopes that someday, they can land a teaching job and save money so they can pay their loans and return to the Philippines.

In some cases, there are teachers who are being promised to receive good salaries as educators but end up receiving a small amount of cash, almost similar to the salary of a household service workers (HSWs).

“Grabe and exploitation ng mga teachers who leave DepEd, for example, to teach abroad. May pattern na nakita kami, especially those who go to the United States hoping for a better life,” says Leonor Briones, DepEd Secretary.

“They will borrow money for their visa, for the processing of their requirements, but when they got there, their salaries and situation is comparable to those of maids,” Briones added.

According to Briones, they are closely monitoring the condition of teachers working outside the country through the help of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).