Maya served a family that lived in a six-storey apartment, but at night she slept inside an empty box.

VF first met Maya at the Manila Port together with other recruits from Dumaguete. Law enforcement officials suspected that something was amiss in the recruitment of the victims but could not prove that there was anything wrong with the recruiter’s documents. Therefore, while Maya’s group briefly stayed at the Port Halfway House, they were soon returned to the recruiter, as the methods of the recruitment agency appeared to be legal.

Three weeks later, Maya called VF’s hotline asking to be rescued from her employers. “Everything just didn’t feel right so I wanted to leave,” Maya said while trying to hold back tears.

She was working at that time for a rich family in Paco, Manila. Her duties included doing all of the ironing, laundry and daily cleaning of the six-storey house. However, while her tasks were clear, how she was to be paid was not.

Maya was given a small room to rest, where an empty box served as her only bed. Her employers did not allow her to venture beyond the gates. She was told not to talk to anyone – her friends, family or relatives – or even to think of asking for help.

Maya tried to brave the conditions for at least a month. However, one time when her employers left, Maya at last called Visayan Forum’s hotline number, which she had obtained from the contact card that the social workers in the halfway house had given her before.

VF immediately coordinated with the local police to check the veracity of Maya’s call. But when they conducted an investigation, the employers denied that they had a domestic worker named Maya under their employ.

The incident drew the ire of Maya’s employers, who became more suspicious and watchful. But when they went out again, Maya convinced her fellow domestic to escape at last. Once they were outside, Maya immediately called the VF hotline again.

The social worker who answered Maya’s call instructed the two women to run to the nearest police station in Paco where she came to fetch them.

Before going home to Dipolog City, Maya and her friend completed vocational courses at the Religious of Mary Immaculate (RMI) Villa Maria Social Center. Maya plans to find another job someday that is not related to domestic work.

Finally, Maya is living her life outside the box.