Marites – if you’re a Filipino, you know this word is used both as a noun and a verb “to share gossip or reveal interesting news”. As a noun, it describes someone who is excessively talkative or chatty. As a verb, it is used in the phrase: ‘mag-Marites tayo’, which is equivalent to the English idiom, spill the tea.
Over the weekend, about 80 members of Filipino Kasambahay Club (FKC), an organisation of nannies and domestic workers in Dubai, held their first ‘Mareng Tess Day’ – an event not intended to engage in idle chatter or catch up on the latest gossip, but to talk about financial literacy and personal savings.
Analiza Villao, 52, one of the founders and current president of FKC, told Khaleej Times ‘Mareng Tess Day’ is designed as a monthly event, where Filipino kasambahay (household service workers) simply “gather and mingle”.
“We want to talk about a lot of things – like ‘mag-Marites tayo’ – but with a purpose,” she added.
The event was held at a hotel in Deira and members came in their Sunday best. They talked about the latest pension and investment plan of the Philippine Social Security System (SSS), and they also invited a resource person who discussed financial literacy and the latest trend in remitting money back home.
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Of course, it was also a fun, humorous and light-hearted afternoon spent over free-flowing cups of coffee, pan de sal, and pancit – which are popular Filipino merienda or snacks. Serious discussions were interspersed with karaoke-singing and banterings, where FKC members took turns belting out their best renditions of Abba’s ‘Chiquitita’, Britney Spears’ ‘Baby One More Time’, and other popular songs.
Empowering Filipino kasambahay
For Villao, who has been working for the same British family for the past 16 years, organising ‘Mareng Tess Day’ is a way of empowering Filipino kasambahay. “I’ve seen many of them, during their off day, just roaming around malls or food courts. They’re homesick all the time and most of them haven’t seen their families in years. Worse, they don’t have time to meet with friends because of the busy nature of their work,” she said.
“So, five of us – all domestic workers – decided to form Filipino Kasambahay Club and launched it on October 16, 2023. Now, less than a year later, we have a total of 479 members. And we are a recognised organisation under the banner of Filipino Social Club, which is registered with the Community Development Authority – Dubai,” Villao added.
The group is planning to have a monthly ‘Mareng Tess Day’ focusing on various topics such as social media literacy, online selling and micro-entrepreneurship, basic to intermediate computer skills, culinary and pastry making; as well as personal development, including improving communication skills in English and conversational Arabic.
‘Let’s mingle and talk’
Promoting mental health is at the core of FKC advocacies.: “Aside from long working hours and homesickness, domestic workers are often vulnerable to verbal and emotional abuse. Some employers – when they’re upset – would often call their household staff ‘stupid’ or belittle them even in public,” Villao noted.
“There’s this stereotype that we occupy the lowest rung of the employment ladder, and when we are verbally or emotionally attacked, we tend to tremble and suffer in silence,” rued Villao, adding: “We don’t want our kasambahay (domestic workers) to bottle up their hurts and emotions. “We want to address the mental health of domestic workers. Seeing a therapist is impossible not only because it is expensive but, basically, we don’t have access to it. That’s why we created ‘Mareng Tess Day’ as a safe and accommodating venue for us to mingle and talk.”
“What we can provide is peer counselling and ‘Mareng Tess Day is where we share our stories and help others pick some lessons, create hope, and improve their lives,” said Villao, underscoring: “Yes, we do Marites (share stories) – but here in the company of our peers, friends and fellow domestic workers, we can freely voice our opinions, emotions, and dreams. We feel like we are finally heard and seen.”