The Philippines lifted the ban of deployment of aupairs to Switzerland

According to the news report from the Philippine Inquirer, the Philippines government has lifted the ban of deploying aupairs to Switzerland. This was after the Swiss Government passed a law protecting he rights and welfare of au pairs. The POEA governing body approved the resolution of the  lifting of the  ban and due to effect by March 23. You can read the full report here.

Wow that’s a good news but that doesn’t mean that the exploitation form the host families and illegal agents will stop. When you search in the net even the reporters like one I read in the Philippine stars keeps on mentioning Domestic helpers . Hello aupairs is not domestic helpers. There’s abig difference work wise and compensation wise. Basically au pair allowance  is around 400 euros for maximum of 30 hours/week and domestic helper or house help salary is usually from 750 euros working more than 8 hours/day  that’s what I heard from friends in Spain.

Would be au pairs applicants should know what they are entering into search and search in the net and now the POEA has standard contract and verification process they should also orient the applicants of their rights and be assertive and I  know their reproductive rights because that are the common problems we/ I encounter everyday. We can not complain that the host are exploiting the au pairs when they themselves allow them on the first place they or the agents are telling the applicants that will do everything because of they are former household helpers in Singapore and in Hongkong.

Our ambassador Her Excellency Elizabeth Buensuceso made an appeal to the Danish government and the Norwegian government for memorandum agreement meaning that they sit down and mutually agree to the terms of of the Philippine Government to protect the rights and welfare of the aupairs. She announced that Philippine government and the Norwegian counterpart were already finalizing the draft during Babaylan Denmark’s Au Pair Congress last November 2009 in Oslo but still no official lifting of the ban. What I know is that the Philippine government wanted an insurance besides the health insurance as you are automatically member if you have a permit to stay and repatriation in case something happens to the aupair like we experienced her in Denmark a couple of times

Hurrah no more escort fee at the airpor said some of the comments in this site’s facebook page. Well, that’s true whenever there’s an issue about au pair exploitation the press always focus more on the corruptions of officials in the airport and that makes you feel angry. Now that the Day care institution is deteriorating due to cost saving and long waiting time for the child to be accepted in the institution, the au pair system is a better options so I think that’s the reason why the au pair is becoming popular nowadays. Majority of Filipinos who worked as an au pair made their life better and experienced another cultur and able to go to places you will never imagine you will visit when you are in the Philippines so this is good news.

But there are also those who were not lucky and their life become a messed up instead of good memories so applicants check what is an au pair before applying http://www.filipinaaupair.net/index.php/what-is-an-au-pair/.