"Depression"
Beth Garcia

Beth is 15 years old. She hails from Davao. Family pressures compelled her to stowaway from home. She moved to Davao City hopping from household to another working as a Kasambahay. A certain Julie Yao brought her to Manila as her kasambahay. Julie Yao and her Korean husband enticed Beth to give up herself for adoption since the husband and wife do not have children on their own. Beth rejected the offer and preferred to be the Kasambahay. She was never happy in her stay with the couple for she was always the object of anger whenever the couple quarreled. For her entire six months in the household she was never paid.

A fellow kasambahay in another condo unit helped her escape and find another employer. Her latest employers were generous, they encouraged Beth to file a labor case against the Yao couple so that she will get her back wages but Beth decisively refused. Like other children, she opted to forgive and forget the past. Beth wished to go home to Davao to pursue High School so her employers turned over her to DSWD-NCR for repatriation assistance since she is a minor. While the DSWD-NCR is working out her transportation assistance Beth was referred to Visayan Forum for temporary shelter. In the center, Beth had a psychological breakdown because of the previous abuses. Ordinary counseling helped less because she needed psychiatric treatment so she was referred to Adolescent and Psychiatric Department of the Philippine General Hospital. Regular sessions with her psychiatrist coupled with counseling from the Social Workers gradually helped Beth deal with her hurt feelings and depression. The local Social workers in Davao were tapped to give counseling to Beth's mother and stepfamily in preparation for her repatriation since Beth is determined to go home. Beth is scheduled for repatriation this third week of July 2003.

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