After 5-year wait, Pinay maid in UAE finally gets salary

The long wait is over for a Filipina maid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as her employer finally paid her back wages equivalent to a five-year salary plus and a sixth year's compensation as "bonus." Marilyn Sabanag, 37, received Dh27,000 (P318,269) with the help of the Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi, according to a report of Gulf News. "Although her salary was a little below the minimum wage as what both parties had agreed upon, we are very happy with this development because it is very rare that sponsors will pay our compatriots right away," Philippine Consul Jose Jacob was quoted as saying in the report. Sabanag sought the help of the Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi last week and received her pay within 48 hours. She also sought help from the dispute section of the UAE's General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs. However, the Gulf News report also noted that the pay given to Sabanag was less than half the minimum standard set by the Philippine government. It noted the Philippine government pegged the minimum wage of maids or household service workers (HSW) at $400 (Dh1,470). Sabanag received Dh600 per month. Unpaid salary problem The Gulf News report said cases of unpaid salaries top the list of complaints of household service workers (HSWs) seeking help from the Philippine missions in the UAE. It noted that some 40 Filipinos are now under the care of the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) in Abu Dhabi, a halfway house for distressed Filipinos, are waiting for their unpaid salaries. "A number of our compatriots [in the center] have cases of unpaid salaries. Most of them have three to six months' worth of unpaid services. But Sabanag's case is the longest that I have seen so far," Labor Attache Nasser Munder said. The other complaints of OFWs in the FWRC include maltreatment, long working hours, lack of a day off, as well as verbal and sexual abuse. - VVP, GMA News