My parents had micro businesses in Binangonan. They did not live in luxury but they were able to send all six children through college without borrowing money from neighbors. We enjoyed some modest comforts.
They employed workers– maids, drivers, taga-alaga ng mga baboy, bibi, itik, manok, etc. My parents were very kind and compassionate bosses. Most especially my mother. Sometimes exaggerated. She let maids lay down on our beds, on our pillows, while my mom tells them stories. Nahawa tuloy ako ng kuto.
They let them share table with us. Hindi naman uso nuon sa Binangonan na maraming mesa and we didn’t have a big house.
When she was living in Binangonan, every time I would go home for the weekend, she would notice that I was strict with our maids there. One time I was looking for a Sunday dress because I was going to the church. I was so disappointed when I saw my dress, supposed to have been washed but still dirty. Hanged in the closet but never ironed. When I complained, my mom took the side of the maid. She said baka daw pagod na yung maid kaya hindi malinis ang laba at plantsa. Ang sagot ko “Kung pagod na dapat magpahinga na lang sya, kasi kung maglalaba at magpa-plantsa ng hindi tama, doble trabaho, dahil uulitin nya. At doble gastos, sa tubig, kuryente at sabon.
Ano pa, eh di ako ang nasabon.
My mom, who’s pro-labor, always reminded me to be sensitive to the feelings of our workers because of self-pity. Kinakaawaan daw nila ang kanilang sarili. Feeling api sila. Kung sino daw ang nakaka-angat, sya dpat ang uunawa.
My mother’s observation of workers’ feelings have been proven true time and again.
On Monday, I saw food left inside the van. I told the driver to remove the food kasi aamoy sa loob at baka kako mapanis dahil mainit ang araw.
He replied—— “Pagkain ko mam, nagugutom kasi ako paghindi ako kumakain”.
Me————- “Ako rin, nagugutom pag hindi kumakain”.
Last Tuesday, when I got on the car, I smelled something really bad. Parang amoy canal na hinaluan ng pangkulot ng buhok. I asked the driver what the smell was.
Me———- “Ano yung mabaho?”
He didn’t answer, so I repeated my question.
Me———- “Naamoy mo ba? Ano yung mabaho?”
He didn’t answer.
Me———- “Parang amoy chemical”.
I was thinking, maybe he farted. But still I had to make him aware that I noticed the smell.
Finally, he said something.
Driver—— “Mahirap lang, mahirap lang kasi ako”.
Me———- “Anong…?”
I was waiting for him to finish his sentence because I didn’t know what he was trying to say.
Driver—— “Mahirap lang ako, kaya sa bangketa ko lang binili, beinte pesos lang, yung lang ang nakayanan, pang mahirap lang”.
I didn’t like what he just said but I pacified myself. I remembered my mom’s words of wisdom- na ako dapat ang magpapasensya.
Me——— “Anong sinasabi mo? Eh ako bumibili rin ako sa bangketa”.
Gusto kong tanungin, ano bang drama mo?
Driver—– “Beinte pesos lang, kung nababahuan kayo eh di itatapon ko na lang, yan lang ang nakayanan”.
How did it become a mahirap-mayaman saga? I was only looking for the source of the bad smell. Sobra syang nag self-pity.
Hindi na lang ako hihinga. Kanina meron na naman akong naamoy. I didn’t say anything na lang. What da pah!
Does this mean your driver brings his own baon when he drives you around? You don’t provide food or money to feed him lunch and merienda and dinner when he’s out driving and waiting for you? I think it would be the compassionate thing to do – provide him meals when he’s working for you and on the road. Had you stayed home, he could have eaten with the maids in the kitchen. But if you don’t think you should provide him food, perhaps you can just give him Lock and Lock to keep his food so it doesn’t smell in the car.
Food allowance is included in their pay. They are given extra money for dinners/snacks. Even if money is given to them, most of the time they don’t buy food. They wait till we get home, they eat again in the kitchen.
The food he left in the van is his merienda.
They are paid very well, higher than ordinary employees.
True, Ms. Annie, they have too much self-pity and they always make it out like a mahirap-mayaman saga. Esp. on the streets, if you honk a jeep for cutting you off or for suddenly stopping to unload passengers, the jeepney driver would just yell “porke’t naka-kotse lang kayo” what da pah talaga:(
drama naman ni manong driver! was it cologne that he paid P20 for? baka nainsulto sya dahil nabantutan kayo…hmm…malamang cologne nga ang binili niya…but teka, may cologne ba nag P20 ? wala yata.