Filipino caregivers in the US decry labor exploitation, neglect of PH gov’t
“We care for others, but the system does not care for us.”
TORONTO – Caregivers and progressives in the United States launched a national campaign exposing wage theft, discrimination, and worker misclassification, while condemning the Philippine government’s continued failure to protect and support Filipino caregivers.
In a virtual press conference held last November 6, Migrante and Gabriela’s chapter in the US joined Filipino migrant careworkers who asserted their right to dignified work and shared their personal stories on abuse, exploitation, manipulation and mistreatment from their employers as well as how the Philippine government continued to turn a blind eye to their suffering.
Data from Migrante USA show that 84 percent of Filipino workers in the US are in the service sector, with the majority working in health-related industries, including caregiving. The US health industry continues to expand and by 2028, healthcare and social assistance are projected to account for one-third of all new jobs in the country.
‘Modern day slavery’
Lei*, a caregiver, shared what care workers across the US face. She said that wage theft is only one of the struggles they encounter as careworkers, but it does not end there. The live-in setup or living in the care home forced them to work for almost 12 hours a day or even 24 hours straight.
“Our employer does not pay our overtime [pay] and many of us don’t even receive the salary they deserve,” Lei lamented. “No overtime [pay] and [the salary] is delayed and some even received below minimum wage,” she added.
Lei also added that emotional manipulation is rampant in the care homes with employers retaliating once they start speaking up and standing up for their rights. Some employers threaten to fire workers if they complain, or cut their work hours resulting in even lesser pay, leaving workers with no choice but to either accept exploitation or lose their jobs. Some employers also use workers’ immigration status against them, saying, “You’re undocumented, you don’t have the right to speak.”
Another caregiver, Joy Alegre, shared her ordeal. Alegre has worked for Belle Home Care Agency owned by Filipino Nilda Dela Cruz since December 2024. According to Alegre, Dela Cruz has owed her more than $20,000 in wages and to this day, Alegre said Dela Cruz has not issued pay stubs for the correct hours.
“Even when I worked overtime, she gives me regular pay. She would let me work 13 hours a day until I complained about my pay stub. After that she cut my hours and threatened me that if I complain again, she would remove me,” Alegre said.
According to Alegre, Dela Cruz owns four registries and has also recently opened a foundation in the Philippines.
“We work hard to support our families but because of her greed we are struggling and may even lose our housing. How dare she steal from us, to buy properties and go to the Philippines while we are the ones who are suffering?” Alegre said.
PH neglect and corruption
Kai Marie, chairperson of Migrante USA, emphasized that essential services like caregiving have been privatized, with companies focused on profit while migrant workers bear the cost.
Kai stated that it is the Philippine government’s duty to protect Filipinos overseas, including tens of thousands of caregivers, yet it has failed to do so. In some cases, she said the government even sides with or supports abusive employers by recruiting workers through the Department of Migrant Workers and then neglecting them when they face exploitation.
She highlighted that the government profits from fees collected from thousands of Filipinos leaving the country daily, turning migration into a business while failing to protect workers from abuse. Kai traced this neglect back to Marcos Sr.’s labor export policies and warned that it continues under Marcos Jr.
Jay*, a caregiver, and a member of the Migrante San Francisco, encapsulated the exploitation and neglect they face, “We care for others, but the system does not care for us.”
According to Jay, caregiving should be about compassion and dignity. But for many care workers like him, it has become endless work, with little rest, low pay, and no respect.
Last May, Jay and other Filipino migrant workers went to the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles to ask for help.
“We went there respectfully, hoping our government would listen. Instead, we were shouted at by the labor attaché, Macy Maglanque who refused to help us. That moment showed how deep the problem goes. When even those who are supposed to protect us, choose to be silent and be hostile instead of compassion,” Jay added.
The labor attaché, Maglanque, has been recently recalled to the Philippines by the Department of Migrant Workers to face investigation over her company’s role in flood control projects.
Jay, emphasized that the same corruption hurting people in the Philippines also impacts migrant workers abroad.
“These are not just corrupt individuals, but a system of corruption, where the class of wealthy and powerful Filipinos keep workers and caregivers like us, exploited and scared and ignored.” he added.
Jay called for accountability, insisting that no one in power should be above the law. “This fight is for every caregiver, every migrant worker, and every Filipino who deserves justice, dignity, and respect. We may be shouted down or ignored, but we will not be silent. We will keep fighting until the truth is heard and justice becomes real.”
Migrant caregivers like Jay play a vital role in caring for the United States’ aging population, yet they face rising cases of abuse amid heightened detentions and deportations, particularly in the current political climate.
According to Migrante USA, nearly 60 percent of overseas migrant workers are women who leave their families in the Philippines to earn a living and provide for them. Yet the same hard-earned money they send home often ends up in the hands of corrupt government officials who fund their lavish lifestyles, while caregivers abroad like Jay, Lei, and Joy continue to endure wage theft, long hours, and labor exploitation.
The care workers put forward various demands and are calling on Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take concrete action to protect the rights and welfare of migrant workers. They demand an independent investigation into corruption and misconduct within the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers, especially involving top officials in the U.S. They want any misuse of funds exposed and those involved held accountable.
They also called on Marcos Jr. to acknowledge his family’s long history of corruption and to prioritize the safety and well-being of Filipino workers abroad over government budgets. The campaign is also urging the Philippine government to push for the removal of Trump’s one-percent remittance tax, which adds further burden to overseas Filipinos.
Caregivers are also demanding that abusive employers stop their exploitation of migrant workers. They stress that workers should not face retaliation or threats related to immigration status. They assert their right to fair pay, humane work hours, and safe conditions. The campaign calls for an end to “fixed” or “daily rate” systems that underpay workers, and to 24-hour on-call arrangements that deprive them of rest and days off.
They emphasized that all migrant workers deserve dignity, fair compensation, and proper classification in their workplaces.
The campaign also issued demands to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, the DFA, and the Migrant Workers Offices, urging these officials to publicly condemn and blacklist abusive Filipino employers, investigate their assets, and make sure workers receive any unpaid wages.
The care workers call on the DMW to hold recruitment agencies accountable for violations and to provide swift, genuine assistance to distressed workers including the release of promised aid and legal support. The caregivers also demanded the DFA and consulates to take a stronger diplomatic stance against the criminalization and wrongful detention of overseas Filipino workers. (AMU, RVO)
Disclosure: Full name of one of the caregivers withheld upon request.
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