The Kasambahays

And still, after all this time, the sun has never told the earth


"You owe me."




It's time the planet happily gives back.

We have always seen our helpers as part of the family. We share our food, we hold small feasts to celebrate their birthdays, they get the stuff we no longer need, we seldom raise our voice when they make lapses. As with other helpers, they clean the house still, and cook our meals, wash and iron our clothes, and take care of the little boys - my nephews - when their parents are away. The five of them attend to our needs. Making sure we don't have to do the back-breaking work, which I know, are sacred duties in other homes.

We have the lesbian driver, who shuttles my mom to her sundry destinations. She has been with the family for more than a decade. And for all the chances she could work elsewhere - with a better pay - she chose to serve us for reasons only she can tell.

The lesbian driver is accompanied by her assistant. A middle-age, long-haired guy who used to be my tutor in elementary. He used to be my mom's student in the university and then dropped out of college and lived a life of a drifter until he moved in with us. He doesn't get paid, like the driver. But in exchange for his support - especially when it comes to doing the leg work, he gets free meals and lodging and commission for the tasks he finish.

The head mistress, as I like to call her, is new to the family. She was hired last year, after the previous head mistress thought of returning to school. She is in charge of washing the clothes and taking care of kids - a calling she likes to deny. She avoids being at the fray, but when Baby Lenin calls her name, the head mistress finds it difficult not to heed his attention.

The ex-head mistress studies in the university. She is taking up a non-diploma course equivalent to Computer Science major. Last summer, a family debate ensued after my sister hinted to end her services. The matriarch and I - both seeing that she couldn't stand on her own, decided to let her stay. Like the lesbian driver's assistant, she enjoys free meals and lodging in exchange for doing some house chores when she's not in school.

The last to make up the team is the babysitter. She was hired by the couple (my sister and her husband) a few months ago - and was told, that she is their responsibility. I cannot recall how she came to the family. What I do know is that she has a kid in the province and she works to provide her child's needs. Among the five, she's the least I pay heed.

I understand that more than the kind and considerate treatment we make the helpers feel, they too need to earn more. An energy exchange we cannot afford. That is why we are worried when they get sick or don't eat on time. I do not know how much others are paying. But if my suspicions prove me right, our helpers get less. 

For this reason, I often contemplate about their well-being and tries my best to make their stay comfortable. They can watch their favorite shows on TV and DVD when there's no work to be done. They can eat all the canned goods my mom buys - in case the ones they cook hardly fill their tummies, and yet, these small perks commit to their long-term needs. Better deals must be set in place, so that should they decide to leave, they can look back and say, 

"Hindi kami pinabayaan."

I do not know how this attempt to support the government's desire for universal health care would turn out, but I'm ready to give more to make the backbone of our home a little more confident of tomorrow.

Online Application Approved

The lesbian driver's Philhealth membership will take effect on August. The head mistress and the middle-aged assistant will have their turn in September. Should my idea for their government-subsidy healthcare work, this project would go down as my biggest accomplishment this year.