Once again, nationalistic pride or proud nationalism (or is it misplaced nationalism, rather?) rears it’s ugly head, and in a grand way — all because of one lucky Filipina maid in Singapore.
An unnamed Pinay who worked for 20 years as a live-in maid for a wealthy Singaporean doctor recently had a windfall of 4 Million Singaporean dollars and a luxury apartment near Orchard Road, as part of an inheritance she received from the physician/philanthropist who passed away last year.
Understandably, the lucky woman refused to be identified in public, revealing only that she is a Pinay, for fear of possible threats to her (and her family’s as well, I would assume) life back in her native land where, understandably, having a million bucks — let alone more a hundred million, which is the equivalent of her 4M Singapore dollar inheritance — would make one an irresistible target for kidnappers. That thought alone would make anyone think twice about coming home flushed with cash.
this is the ending i expected in sharon’s caregiver.
good for her and her family. if i were her, i’d wait a long time before coming home. much safer in singapore for her now i think.
I agree with Ewok1993. I can’t blame the woman for jealously guarding her privacy. That was a very smart and wise move on her part.
The harsh reactions and words she’s getting from a number of her fellow Pinoys indirectly harks back to what you wrote in your previous piece. Pinoys want money and all the pleasures and things it can buy. They are, however, awful at coming up with the right approach to earning and making it.
Very sad.
it is common for wealthy people to leave money and assets to those who cared and served them loyally, cats and dogs included 🙂
Caregivers most often become beneficiaries of the people the serve and the amount they inherit can range for small cash, a used car sometimes to millions and real estate property. News agencies always like to print these kind of stories but it is the woman’s right to preserve her privacy which I believe was respected by the reporting news agency.
Unsure what the thought process are with these thugs/thieves in waiting; when some hardworking person noypi instantly gets rich, he/she is the target including the relatives. Anak ng tupa, dami dyan na neophite politicians, biglang yaman kaagad – they should be the ones robbed every now and then.
Ewok1993> Same thing with the rest of us. Any right thinking dude would wait until everything cools down before coming back. Pero, mas importante pa rin to remain anonymous, kasi sa totoo lang, thieves can be very patient, especially if there’s a huge amount involved…
Panaderos> I can only wonder how long that sizable inheritance will last should she decide to come home. Alam mo naman dito, meron ka lang konting pera ikaw ang takbuhan ng mga nangangailangan (me sakit, walang pang-tuition, pambayad sa koryente, etc…), and you end up supporting the entire family, or even the barrio.
BW> Hmm, maybe I am in wrong line of work. Should start training to be a caregiver and look for a wealthy old man, or woman, to care for and hope I’d be included in the will, hehehe. 😀
TruBlue> Mahihirpan ang mga magnanakaw sa politicians, even the neophytes, kasi maraming bodyguards yan, courtesy of the taxpayers, hehe.
I heard of a TNT ( tago ng tago ) Pinay in California who was taking care of an old woman. When she died, she willed $100,000 to the caregiver. Umuwi kaagad sa Pinas for good si Inday 🙂
BW> A hundred thousand US dollars is equivalent to more than 4 million in Philippine money — I don’t think that’s enough for Inday to live a comfortable life, especially if she’s the only breadwinner (as with most OFWs) in the family.
That was a few years ago and agree $100K isn’t really much but when you’re undocumented, penniless and working illegally to get by it’s kinda tough to survive well in such a predicament. Going home was like – OK, finish contract na ako and nakaipon ng konti 😉 I’ll come back another day.
BW> A hundred thousand dollars (around 4m plus in pesos) can go a long way in these islands, particularly in the province. You just have to be careful on how you spend and invest the money.