Why is this mother locked up inside a chicken cage?

A former overseas Filipino worker was locked inside a chicken cage by her own family.

According to a “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” episode on Sunday, “Maya,” 33, has been locked for almost a year in a small cage made of bamboo, metal, and wood, in Antique.

Her eight-year-old daughter, Lizette, would give her food through a small opening.

Inside the cage, “Maya” slept on a mattress and used clothes as beddings because she threw her pillows away.

Because she stayed confined at all times, Maya did everything inside, even urinating and defecating. To clean up the pen, Lizette would just slip her hand inside and pick up the trash.

Lizette said sometimes her mom would destroy the lock and try to run away, but they always got her back.

Gervacio, Maya’s father, shared that his daughter used to work as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia.

He said one day, however, she returned home and was no longer the same.

“Mapagmahal na anak iyan tsaka magalang. Pero noong pagdating niya, naninibago na ako. Sinasaktan daw siya ng kanyang amo. Pag-uwi niya, sinabi niya sa akin na, ‘buti nga, Pa, nakauwi po ako nang buhay,’” he said.

[She was a loving daughter. But when she came back, I felt something was off. She said that her employer hurt her. When she came home, she told me, “it’s a good thing, Pa, that I was able to come back alive.”]

Gervacio said Maya’s condition worsened when she gave birth to her youngest child.

He said she induced herself into labor and cut off the umbilical cord. Fortunately, the family was able to rush her and the baby to the hospital.

“Maya” was sent home, while her baby had to stay at the hospital due to premature birth. This caused her to go berserk.

With the help of the barangay in Parañaque, they brought her to a mental hospital, where she stayed for more than a month and got better.

“Maya” and her husband are separated, while her three children went on to live with different relatives.

“Nagwala ulit dito. Nanira ng bubong, nanghampas ng kuryente. Nananakit ng tao,” shared Gervacio.

[She destroyed the roof, hit electric wires, attacked people, that’s why we had to lock her up.]

“Wala akong magagawa dahil walang-wala din kami eh. Mabigat sa dibdib ko.Hindi ko lubos maisip kung bakit nagka-ganito yung buhay namin. Anak ko iyan, eh. Siyempre, mahal ko iyan.”

[We don’t have much of a choice. It hurts seeing my daughter not getting the help she needs. I can’t understand why our life turned out like this. That’s my daughter. Of course, I love her.]

Her family said Maya was able to consult with a doctor in the past but they could not continue her treatment because they could not afford it.

Lizette, meanwhile, continued to dream for the two of them. She said she wanted to be a nurse so she could take care of her mom and other people who were sick.

Meanwhile, in a nearby barangay, there was another woman who was locked up because she always took off her clothes whenever she got out.

According to the Antique Provincial Health Office, it recorded over 16 cases of mental health disorders in Maya’s town during the pandemic.

The National Center for Mental Health said that OFWs suffering from mental health issues may be due to several factors like abuse, home sickness, among others.

It said trainings for local government units on how to deal with mental health patients were ongoing.

However, there is still a surge of mental health cases amid the pandemic.

With the help of the KMJS team, “Maya” was given financial aid and brought to the West Visayas State University Medical Center in Iloilo, which was six hours away from her town.

Safe Haven, located in Cebu, said it would shoulder the medical expenses of “Maya” and the other patients in her town.

As Maya strives to find healing, her family members ask the public for continued support. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News

For those who wish to help "Maya," please deposit to:

LANDBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES

ACCOUNT NAME: GERVACIO T CALCANA
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3376213543
CONTACT NUMBER: 09303902832

For those who wish to help "Jenjen," please deposit to:

LANDBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES
ACCOUNT NAME: MARICEL S MATANGGA
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3376213535
CONTACT NUMBER: 09202603519