Hi ladies. Medyo mahaba lang ito kasi need ko opinion niyo regarding my new helper. Sobrang nasstress na kasi ako.
We live in a 5 storey 30 sqm condominium na walang elevator (I dont know why walang elevator, nakakainis!) and nasa 5th floor kami. So burden ngayon mag akyat baba ako given na turning 33 weeks ako this week. I am living with my 10 year old son and my husband.
My MIL gave us a 39 year old helper who started Sept 15. She said she graduated sa elementary level lang, previous work tumagal ng 5 years, receiving 1,500 as a monthly salary. No increase. Walang asawa, anak or boyfriend. She does not use cellphones, if given one, marunong lang mag call and doesn't know how to use text messaging services.
Ang usapan ng MIL ko dun sa agent na first month she will be receiving 3,000 php and succeeding months 3,500.00
When she started, napansin ko okay siya sa linis, laba, plantsa. The usual naman na you need to orient her, paano gamitin ang appliances, anong oras dapat nagigising etc. Sinamahan ko saan ang papuntang bakery, palengke, grocery, banks, tindahan, bilihan ko ng rice, etc. (Inisa isa ko talaga per day kasi ayoko magulo sa utak niya kasi napapansin ko slow siya.) I taught her how to use the automatic washing machine, how to use the kalan (different in every household naman kasi), how to use everything.
For the cooking part, I asked her if she cooks. She always answers "opo mga gulay" So sinasabi ko anong klaseng gulay? I had to ask her multiple times bago niya masabi na mga "gata" ang mga kaya niya. I have a feeling na she does not know or she doesn't want to cook. Ang laging mention niya ay "ang Ate (dating employer) ko po kasi nagluluto dati"
Sa 13 days na nandito siya sa amin ito mga nangyari:
1. Lunch time paglabas ko ng room, she said "Ate kain tayo". Sabi ko "Anong ulam mo?" Sabi niya "Tubig po" then tinignan ko, kanin and tubig nga. Nagtaka ako and medyo na feel bad. Kasi bakit tubig? Ang daming pagkain? I was clear to her that the food inside the ref is open to her and if ayaw niya, there's de-lata etc na cabinet. Tinanong ko "Bakit tubig kinakain mo?" Sabi niya "Ate ganito talaga sa amin pag wala kaming makain." Doon, nafeel bad na ako lalo kasi parang sinasabi mo walang food? Eh andami sa ref. Sinasabi mo ba na I need to cook food for you na fresh every time na breakfast, lunch and dinner? So sinabi ko sa kanya "Ate marami namang pagkain bakit tubig kinain mo?" She just smiled at me and looks like she doesn't know what to say. Hindi ako matigilan mga sis. Buntis eh, so pagbalik namin ng palengke, I asked her to get veggies na she can cook. Hindi umi-imik. Nagpunta kami ng grocery and told her to get the food she usually eats. Kumuha ng sardines, fried danggit and coffee. I told her that the main reason we hired a helper so someone can help out to buy food on my behalf and also kapag emergency cases like --- what if nasa hospital ako? 5 days ako na admit? Tubig ba ang ipakakain niya sa son ko?
2. She woke me up around 7am in the morning (pregnant women have trouble sleeping so kapag naistorbo yung deep sleep, imbyerna talaga), just to ask me how to kabit the hose sa gripo. I asked her to do it infront of me so I can see anong problema sa pag kabit niya ng hose. Syempre napaka simple right? Ikakabit mo lang yung hole sa gripo. Pero hindi niya magawa. She looks like parang duling ka ba not to see the hole kaya di nakakapasok yung hose sa gripo? Ganon na lang kasimple. Then pinakita ko how to do it. Then tinanggal ko ulit. Siya pinagawa ko. Hindi niya magawa. Mga 3 times kaming paulit ulit just to make sure she wont wake me up everytime she will kabit the hose to the faucet.
3. I asked her to include the 4 cover of throw pillow sa laundry. 2 of the covers, nasa gilid ang zipper. The other 2 naman, nasa side ng cloth, yung malapad na side ng pillow, natatakpan lang siya para aesthetically maganda at hindi kita yung zipper. What she did was --tinastas niya sa gilid coz she couldnt find the zipper sa gilid unlike sa unang 2 cover ng throw pillow. This time hindi ako nagalit pero natawa ako. Si hubby naman yung nainis kasi "bakit hindi nagtatanong?" I told the helper she is incharge of sewing it (if she knows how) basta I told her "Ate sinira mo yung cover ng pillow?" She replied "Hindi po lalabahan ko lang po" Sabi ko paano mo yan ibabalik eh sinira mo. Andito yung zipper o". Then I saw her sa bed niya trying to sew the pillow. I kinda felt bad for her.
4. My mom texted me one time to tell my helper to change her damit everyday and use deodorant. I told my mom medyo napapansin ko na nga kaso the fact na pati ba naman yun papansinin ko pa, parang may inaalagaan na akong tatlong anak: my husband, my son and the helper. Then I asked the helper "Ate, tuwing kelan ka nagpapalit ng damit?" She said every two days. Sabi ko if she needs clothes just tell me pero she needs to change her damit every day and use deodorant. She said "Ate hindi po ako talaga gumagamit ng deodorant kasi." I did not want to argue anymore. Ewan ko ba. Ayoko na.
5. Yesterday, I asked her to buy potatoes sa nearby tindahan. Tindahan is closed. I asked her to buy other stuff. Sabi niya Ate sarado yung tindahan kasi. Sabi ko, pwede naman sa ibang tindahan diba? So she went to the palengke nearby din. Hayayay!
6. Today, I asked her to go to National bookstore which is nasa gilid lang ng palengke. Hindi daw niya alam. Sabi ko nasa gilid ng palengke. As in katabi lang. Ayaw daw niya hindi niya alam. This time I had to wake up my husband kasi hindi ko na kinaya. Sabi ko ituro mo lahat. Isa isahin mo, bakery, national bookstore at especially mercury drug. Pati na din how to get a taxi. Paano na lang if Im in labor, my husband is not at home and Im stuck with her?
Hay, marami pang iba. Pero sa 13 days na nakasama ko siya I dont know ha, pero preggy kasi ako mga sis. Hindi ko alam if dala na din ito ng hormones ko or sadya lang talagang may pag ka slow itong helper ko. I want to get rid of her pero naaawa ako. Naawa din ako lalo sa sarili ko kasi feeling ko hindi worth the 3,500 that I am going to pay her.
The linis, laba and plansta wala akong masabi pero paano pag may emergency? Hay. Nakikita ko na talaga, tatagal siya sa lahat ng employer niya kasi hindi niya talaga ever maiisip umalis kasi I know for sure sa iba hindi siya tatagal.
My background pala, I am 30 years old. Maraming helpers na dumaan sa akin, mostly tumatagal ng one year. Pinakamatagal 4 years nasa mom ko na ngayon -- studying. The rest mga nagsipag-asawa na. 16-25 years old pero itong helper first time 39 years old pero parang meron akong Grade 3 na helper. Sabi ng mom ko, be patient kailangan turuan. Ang important eh natuturuan at mapagkakatiwalaan sa pera. Alam ko naman yun.
Please, I need your opinion on this.