Migrant's Focus Magazine: Issue #1     Profile #3: Benson Barameda, A Male DH When Benson left Manila for Saudi Arabia, he had a few dreams. Nothing too elaborate, just a house in his name, a vehicle and a family. For someone whose parents died at the age of four, Benson hardly knew if he belonged anywhere at all. Benson did not even have any idea how they died. The only thing he could remember was he had to live with his aunt and uncle. For someone who had been orphaned at such an early age, he had to mature quicker than most boys did his age. Benson was born in Sorsogon, Sorsogon. But as a youngster, he had to move to the country capital to try his luck there. When he got to Manila, he immediately knew that life there was going to be tough. Benson had to work nights in order to get to school. He took BSBA (Accounting) at Trinity College. But he was not able to finish his course because although he was working at that time, he earned so little. Until he saw the possibility of going abroad. Benson heard that a lot of men his age were going to places like Saudi Arabia and that there is a good chance he'll earn more there. He then left his jobs at SM at its kitchenware department and Dunkin' Donuts and flew to Saudi Arabia. Everything he saw in his first few days there gave Benson some idea how a Muslim country differs from the Philippines. He worked as an electrician and a driver there. The job was relatively light, but the salary was extremely low, he was earning around US$350.00 each month. "Tapos ang dami pang bawal." People there were extremely religious, very solid Muslims. He thought that there were so much cultural differences, but politically, he witnessed how strict the government was. Not even the people who worked for the king can get away with anything. It was hard for many Filipino christians because they were not allowed to practice their own religion. The weather got from too cold to too hot and worst of all, he had to endure sandstorms. He got very lonely specially that the distance between houses he likened to having a neighbor was as far as the moon. Another thing that bothered him a lot was the fact that he did not get to meet any women because it was strictly forbidden. His day off was on a Friday. One incident Benson will never forget was the day his group who was in charge of one office was accused of destroying the safe and stealing its contents. Good thing Benson was not present at that moment because the rest of his group were accused of theft and were imprisoned. He signed a second contract with the company and then asked for a home leave. He decided to drop by Hong Kong and applied for a 6-months visitor's visa at the British Embassy. Here he met a few Filipinos and was told that pay was a lot better in HK and they suggested that he try to look for an employer and work here instead. During his stay in HK, he thought it was just heaven to be in a place with less stricter laws. In a matter of weeks, he found an employer. He has moved from one employer to the next. He was able to raise his qualities as a domestic helper by earning a driving license and performing some driving duties in the course of his domestic chores. He gets paid for maintaining a 6,000 square feet garden, which includes mowing, watering and taking care of its lawn furniture. When he doesn't have much to do anymore, he does the ironing of the clothes, and even takes care of the four kids. Despite having three English nannies and two other Sri Lankan ladies who work for his employers, he still does most of the household work. He believes that his employers like his job. In April this year, he married his girlfriend whom he had met at a grocery store while doing the family's groceries. They now have a five-month old baby girl. His wife also works in HK but at present has a case with the Labor Department. Benson said that he thinks that he would still work for another three years here while he is still in his productive years. He considers his strengthen his biggest investment. And that it was just right that he and his wife prepare their child's future better. Of course they both experience terribly missing their child but they both believe that a much better future for Myka Joy is all worth the sacrifice. They also feel very lucky for his wife's parents who are very patient in taking care of their baby. Sometimes they just both try to ignore their sadness that at five months, they had to leave their baby. Good thing they do not have to worry too much about her. Their only consolation is that when the baby needs anything, they know they can readily provide her everything without having to break their heads worrying where to get the money or the resources. Benson wishes to buy a taxi in addition to the vehicle he has bought initially. They have also purchased a house, and in three years they are done paying the mortgage. Benson learned his lesson from many experiences shared by other migrant males in HK. And he heard so many sad tales of families broken up by migration and he would hate that to happen to his family. He also knows of many Filipino males in HK not being able to save anything after being in HK for such a long time, that instead of being able to earn money for their families back home, they go back home empty-handed. During the times that he has spent with other Filipino men in places like Central, he also realized that many of the more senior workers has this crab mentality, and that out of so many men he met, not a lot of them are real friends. Benson's patience, his biggest virtue that he says he earned being a boy who experienced so many hardships, combined with the right amount of funniness, people would just admire his qualities. He has a very good sense of humor that will make you laugh endlessly. That is one of the many traits he keeps in order to maintain good friendships in HK. He also has a way of doing things. He isn't embarrassed to admit he does household chores, unlike many men in HK, he is even so proud to say that his employers prefer the way he irons their clothes. He does not find it demeaning to do household work because his employers deserve good service for being generous to Benson. A lot of male domestic helpers would not accept to do all household chores, because they find it degrading to their being men. He considers it very important to be nice to people around him. He found several friends from different places in HK but only found a few that he considers good friends. If given the chance to leave again to migrate, he would do it again. Although forced to do that, he would do it again, but would rather go to places like HK, like US, Canada but never South Africa, Malaysia, Taiwan. Now Benson is content. He has a family... a beautiful and loving wife, who is equally funny and has a very good sense of humor just like Benson, a healthy baby girl, a house and a vehicle in his name. A few more years and he will be able to complete his simple dream. One more car and a brother or a sister for Myka Joy and he is all done. But the struggle for a better life will not discontinue. In a world like this, he thinks that it shall be a struggle to raise his children to grow up as "real" people, who have so much pride and dignity for themselves so they will have better lives than he did.     Search our site: advance search             Back to top           1995 - 2001 (c) copyright The Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers (HK) Society e-mail: mission@migrants.net website: http://www.migrants.net