Many Filipinos are laid off after all non-essential businesses closed down as part of efforts to stem the pandemic. COVID19
WHAT NOW? Filipino migrant workers at the International Women's Day rally in Toronto March 8, 2020. Photo by Marites Sison
“Most work under the table as cleaners, as caregivers, or they make sandwiches that are sold in restaurants,” she says of Migrante members in Toronto who are undocumented. With the devastating impact of Covid-19 on jobs and the entire economy stretching for months, they worry about not having any money for rent and food. “They’re not entitled to benefits because they have no status,” she said.
Migrante has also formed a task force to help undocumented Filipinos navigate assistance that could be available to them, such as access to food bank, and free healthcare, and to possibly launch a fundraising campaign for them.But undocumented Filipino workers are not the only ones feeling the pinch.
Many worry about their own health and safety. “What if their employers get sick? This is a great concern, especially for those who are live-in careworkers and have nowhere to go,” said Tan. Her employer demands that she not go out during her days off, not even to buy food, so she is forced to buy groceries online, which are more expensive. Each week her employer interrogates her also about her roommate’s whereabouts, she said. And since her employer’s entire family is now home, Jhay said she’s at everyone’s beck and call; disinfecting the home periodically has also been added to her chores.
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