Katulong at Muchacha

Our office cleaner Nimfa has been absent for two weeks due to bulutong. Sabi ko kailangan magaling na magaling muna sya bago pumasok dahil bulutong is highly contagious.

Yesterday morning, I instructed one of our house cleaners V, to ride with Julienne to the office to clean.
She did not. I asked why, she said she didn’t notice Julienne had left. She said Julienne went out of the other door.
Maid V———- Mam, gusto kita munang makausap. Me lilinawin ako.
Saan ba ako talaga maglilinis? dito sa bahay o sa opisina?
(I was taken aback by her boldness).
Me———- Kung saan kita kailangang maglinis. Absent si Nimfa kaya sa office ka muna ka relyebo nya.
Maid V——– Magkano ang ibabayad nyo sa akin, opisina na yon, dapat minimum.
(I would repeat, I was appalled by her cheekiness)
me———- Malaki ang bayad ko sayo P350 a day dito sa bahay, sa office, ganun din.
Maid V ——– Parang kulang yun, dapat minimum.
Me———- Sige itatanong ko muna sa accounting kung magkano eksakto ang minimum.

After that, I gave her salary up to today then told her she may go and I would just text her.
Nakunsumi ako sa kanya. Grabe.

Maids no longer want to be called Katulong. They now refer to themselves as
kasambahay. Republic Act 10361 has made the word
katulong a bygone word.

When I was growing up, the politically correct word for household helpers was a
direct Tagalog translation Katulong. Helpers eh di katulong.

Some rich people, those pedigreed Don and Donyas called them mga alila or
muchacha or muchacho. The Spanish meaning of muchacha is a girl, or a young woman. Muchacho is the male equivalent. The modern world considered those references as offensive because the other meaning is alila or servant.
Most of the old movies depicting Spanish rule included scenes where the
employer, Don San Pedro na nakapamewang at tinatawag ang mga alila.

Alila is a strong word. Parang maids are treated like slaves.

The it word now is Kasambahay. But personally speaking,
katulong is also appropriate. Katulong sa gawaing bahay, katulong sa bahay.

Kasambahay was derived from kasama sa bahay. So technically, I am a
kasambahay. Si Edmund ay kasambahay ko. My kids are my kasama sa bahay
kaya literally speaking, kasambahay ko sila. All of us could be collectively referred
to as mga kasambahay. We are one family living under one roof.

How about those working in offices, factories, retail shops, etc. Tayong lahat ay
mga nagtatrabaho. Mga katrabaho ko sila. Mga kasama ko sila sa trabaho. so anong itatawag ko sa kanila?
Kasama sa trabaho or Kasambaho. Hindi kasimbaho ha at mabango ako, kabibili ko lang ng
pabango.

So mga kapamilya, kapatid, kapuso, kasambahay, at kasambaho,

Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat.