FOR 65 YEARS, “Nanay Fedelina” lived like a modern-day slavery victim with her employer in the United States. Nanay Fedelina was a nanny who was brought to the United States by the Filipino-American family she was serving when she was just 16 years old.
In a June 2019 interview with ABS-CBN’s Balitang America, Nanay Fedelina narrated her ordeal with the family she served for four generations. “Nag-alaga ako ng nanay niya, nag-alaga ako ng anak niya, tapos nanay naman niya, apat na apo ang inalagaan ko. Lahat ‘yun ginawa ko ako lang mag-isa, nagluluto, naglilinis, namamalantsa, namamalengke, ako lahat, kayang-kaya ko, hinahatid-sinusundo, dinadalhan ng pagkain sa eskuwela.”
“Ang hinihigaan ko ang lamig, ang dumi-dumi, butas-butas pa ‘yong blanket ko, salbahe silang mag-ina. Ngayon, maligaya na ako at malaya. Hindi na ako nakakulong, hindi na ako inaapi ng mga tao,” she said.
This year, at 81, Nanay Fedelina said she is ready to begin the life of a free woman. And in Los Angeles, she was hailed as a symbol of courage and freedom.
In 2018, the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), through the help of US law enforcement agencies, rescued Nanay Fedelina and helped pursue and win her case in court.
“Today, with the help of PWC, the Consulate General, and many other generous hearts in Los Angeles, Nanay Fedelina is ready to begin a new life at 81,” the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles said.
Nanay Fedelina said she wanted to go home to Tacloban City in eastern Visayas region and find her family. At present, she is staying at a Filipino-American retirement home for free. “We are working on getting her T-Visa (trafficking victim visa) which will allow her to stay in the US indefinitely. As soon as she gets her visa, I promised to fulfill her wish to get a tour of Malacañang and maybe a chance to see the President,” Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said.
In a meeting with Nanay Fidelina recently, Romualdez reiterated to her the Philippine government’s commitment to uphold the welfare and protect the rights of overseas Filipinos at all times. “The President instructed us to prioritize overseas Filipinos. We must do our best to safeguard their welfare,” Romualdez said.
Nanay Fedelina came from a generation when highly unregulated domestic employment was still a common practise in the Philippines. (Joyce Ann Rocamora)
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