Child care training for Filipino domestic workers sought

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre

PHILIPPINE labor officials are seeking a partnership with a charity organization in Hong Kong to educate Filipino household service workers about child care and child discipline.

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre told Hong Kong News they were discussing with the Child Development Centre to hold a regular seminar for Filipino domestic helpers about the local culture in taking care of children.

“We are negotiating with the Child Development Centre for a regular seminar on child care and caring for children with disabilities kasi may mga nakukulong na Filipino helpers because sometimes they can not distinguish the fine line between child care and child discipline,” Dela Torre said.

He added that the difference in the cultures of  Filipinos and Hong Kong people in taking care and disciplining of children were the reason why a number of Filipino domestic helpers were charged with ill-treatment of their ward.

“Sa atin kasi pwedeng namang kurutin o paluin ang bata. Dito iba ang culture nila. Kaya kapag kaunting kurot o palo tapos nakuhanan sa CCTV, makakasuhan iyong helper,” Dela Torre said.

Meanwhile, government prosecutors withdrew the criminal case against G.C. Buduan who was charged with ill-treatment of her two-year-old ward.

A government prosecutor told Acting Principal Magistrate Don So Man-lung of the Kwun Tong Magistracy that they would no longer pursue the case against the domestic helper.

“I respect the prosecution’s privilege to drop the charges, but may I ask why?” said Judge So when informed of the prosecution’s application.

“The two-year-old child could not distinguish between telling lies and telling the truth. The medical evidence was also not compatible with the case,” the prosecution said.

Judge So then addressed the defendant, who was in the dock and had been in custody since her arrest in October, and told her that the lack of reliable witness and evidence prompted the police and  the prosecution to drop the charges against her.

Outside the court, the prosecutor told journalists that the child’s injuries of “rashes and abrasions” were incompatible with the reported type of assault allegedly committed by the defendant.

The prosecutor said the child’s mother reported the alleged assault to the police when the child complained about it.

In August, a Filipino domestic helper Emerolyne M. L. was sentenced to 28 days in jail after she was found guilty by an Eastern Court of hitting her 10-year-old ward after the latter threw a tantrum on Mar. 17.