By: Sr. Docilia Pizzaro, FSP

The Birth of an Idea
Since last year, we the Filipinos working in Lahore, have gathered every two months. Fr. Pat Raleigh, a Columban, initiated this apostolate. In his going about, he used to meet Filipinos every now and then. So, he got the idea of gathering, asking where they live etc. Fr. Pat is a great friend of our community, he spoke to me and to one FMM, a Filipino too and one missionary of Charity (Mother Teresa) a Filipino, plus three Pinoys Columban lay missionary. He said, we must meet one day, and see if we can organize and gather these people for a Sunday mass and offer the chance of meeting each other.

Looking For A Place
So, he went around first and tried to locate where they live. Then for the First time we all gathered in the Columban House. Then their place turned out to be far from most of the Pinoys and difficult to find. Finally Fr. Pat spoke to our Sister Superior, if we could provide a place Sister said “Yes”. So, the following meeting we had it in our place.

Unfair Practice
Our Filipinos in Lahore (quite a member of them) work as domestic helpers. Very very few work among the foreigners, the majority work under the rich Muslims families. In Pakistan there is a classification of work. If for example you are a sweeper, you only sweep, if you are a cook, you only cook and so on. It is a very common practice that when a Filipino works in a rich Muslim family he can dismiss the other worker and leave only this Filipino to do all the work of the other, since she stays with the family the whole day.

Heartless Agents
When the Filipino comes to Pakistan to work through an agency, the majority end up illegal; they don’t sign any contact about the type of work. In other words, the Filipino are at the mercy of the rich Pakistani Muslim employers. It seems that the employer pays a certain amount to an agent and this agent gives the girl to them as a domestic helper while this Filipinos, in their desire to earn, accept everything with patience. I tell you they suffer a lot. Many of them complain of too much work, little rest and no free day. That’s why it very hard for us to gather them even for the Sunday mass. Even of food, they are given very little, so they easily get sick.

Away fro their Families
These Filipino are all married with families in the Philippines, but many are separated from their husbands, so they really sacrifice for the sake of their children. They are in very pitiful situations. A few of them work in good families. (Just two or three Filipinos are lucky enough to have a good employers). How can we dissuade Filipinos coming to Pakistan for work as domestic helpers? And they are like slaves in the hands of this rich Muslims people. They want them to work and work.
Time for Prayer
Last Easter 1992, there were around sixty Filipinos at Mass. After the Mass, we usually have a get together. I forgot to mention that in the beginning, we wrote a letter to allow them to come for prayers from two to seven p.m. But even this was hard for every two months only. I visited a few families and talked to them about the situation and the free day the time for prayer. In front of me they are nice and promised that they will send the girl for Sunday Mass, but when I go away it’s just the same situation.

The Real Problem
The Philippine embassy is aware of this problem. They are doing what they can. Also in Islamabad, there are quite a number of them. In Karachi too, there’s a lot. How shall we go about this situation? Can the Philippines government do something about this? How can this be stopped? Of course, the Philippines should provide work for them. This is the real problem.