Hong Kong already confirmed its first case of H1N1 flu last week. Chloe Belle Dogeno, housemaid, who’s work are days of endless house cleaning, wiping doorknobs, washing rugs, towels, and bed sheets. Is worrying about the H1N1, she said its like when the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS outbreak in HK in 2003.

But rather than worrying the epidemic, she is much worry (like many of the 130,00o Filipino housemaids in this territory of China), go beyond the extra hous chores, expected restrictions by her employer to meet her friends, even her health. Plus, worse of it all is loosing her job once she gets infected. She’s a 42-year-old breadwinner, and like all filipinos getting out of the country who support her family and siblings with the money she earn and sent back to Dumangas, Iloilo.

When the global economic meltdown like what happened during the SARS epedimia, she’s very much worried about loosing her job.

“Now that the swine flu (H1N1) is here, it means more hard work for me—changing the doormats, bed sheets and towels more often. I have to do a lot of wiping again,” Dogeno said.

She remembered the things she did when SARS hit a few years ago. “I had to put a pail filled with Chlorox and disinfectant by the door so my wards—a couple and their two children—could wipe their shoes and things before entering. I had to constantly change the doormats and wipe the toilet,” she said.

She said she would be very careful now with hygiene because of the repercussions should she lose her job. “If I get terminated, I’m not the only one who will go hungry. It will be a tragedy for my family in the Philippines,” Dogeno said.

Her worries only worsen because the lack of government support for our OFW and the company she works for should have more knowledge regarding the outbreak. They didn’t have to overwork their employees this way.

For OFW like Dogeno, just think its much easier than work here in the Philippines where cleanliness and hygiene is not a matter.