"Broken Promises"
Wendy Alibasa

Wendy is 14 years old and lives with her aunt in Manila. She was born in Manila and after finishing Grade 6 she went home to her mother in Antique to take care of her mother. While in Kalibo a relative of her stepfather recruited her and two other older girls to work as kasambahay in one household in Manila. She was promised P1, 200.00 per month. On May 2001 she came back to Manila not in her childhood home in Manila but in Pasig.

She was employed where she had only one employer. She never saw her companions since they separated and employed in different households in contrast to what they were promised that they would work in one household. For almost 8 months she was not given her wage at all. Her employer told her that she puts her wages in a joint account with her. She had no day off and does all the house chores of the big home. On January 2002, her employer physically and verbally abused her and blamed her of the zero- income of the sari-sari store, which she helped in just the previous month. Wendy decided to live the employer and she found her way back to her aunt in Manila. Her aunt accepted her but they were very afraid to file labor complains against her employer besides Wendy could no longer remember the address of her employer. Wendy was given processing and counseling during the TWEEPS. She was always invited in BBK kids and youth activities where she excelled in essay and dancing contests. She was also extended medical assistance when she got sick with UTI.

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