A Filipino degree holder working as a domestic helper in Singapore has opened up about why she chose to put her academic qualifications and job title aside to pursue better financial opportunities overseas.
In a video shared by Singapore Mandarin radio station YES 933, the woman recalled questioning her decision when she first became a domestic helper.
“Why did I study so hard just to become a helper like this?” she said, describing the doubts she once had about her career path.
But her perspective changed as she began focusing less on the title attached to her job and more on what the work allowed her to achieve.
‘It’s not about the job title’
The Filipino worker said she eventually realised that having a degree or a prestigious job title meant little if it could not provide enough income to support her family.
“Your ego cannot feed your hungry stomach, right?” she said.
For her, becoming a domestic helper in Singapore was ultimately a practical decision.
She explained that conversations about work and success in the Philippines often centre on how much a person earns and whether they are able to provide for their families.
Singapore offered her the opportunity to earn more than she could back home, allowing her to work towards her personal and financial goals.
“It’s not about the job title. It’s about how they pay you more than what you earn back [in the Philippines],” she said.
Putting qualifications aside for a better future
Her experience highlights a reality faced by many migrant workers who leave professional or academic aspirations behind when they move overseas.
For some, working as a domestic helper may appear far removed from the careers they originally trained for.
But the decision can make financial sense when overseas salaries provide greater opportunities to support parents, children or other family members.
The woman said she had learned to look beyond the social status associated with particular occupations.
Instead, she focused on whether a job could give her the financial stability and opportunities she wanted.
Another Filipino helper turned her experience into a business
Her story is not the only example of a Filipino domestic worker using employment in Singapore as a stepping stone towards other ambitions.
Jocelyn Mompal was encouraged by her Singaporean employer, Wang, to take courses in entrepreneurship, time management and money management when she was working as a domestic helper in 2008.
Wang paid for the courses, which helped Mompal develop skills beyond her domestic work.
She eventually used what she learned and the money she saved to build businesses in the Philippines.
Mompal went on to run a travel agency and a shoe store in Iloilo City.
She also invested her savings in a condominium unit in Manila.
Her experience demonstrates how migrant workers can use overseas employment not only to earn an income but also to build financial security and pursue longer-term goals.
The stigma attached to being a domestic helper
Despite the financial opportunities, the title of “domestic helper” can still carry social stigma.
Another Malaysian professional working in Singapore recently described feeling upset after being mistaken for a domestic helper while visiting a laundromat in Bedok.
The woman, a senior account specialist, said she felt judged because of the assumption about her occupation.
She also recalled being stopped by a condominium security guard and questioned about whether she was a resident.
Such experiences highlight how quickly people can make assumptions based on appearance, nationality or occupation.
A job title does not define a person’s ambitions
For migrant workers, domestic work can involve significant sacrifices.
Many leave behind families, professional ambitions and familiar surroundings in order to earn money overseas.
But the stories of workers such as the Filipino degree holder and Mompal also challenge the idea that a person’s occupation determines their worth or future prospects.
A university degree may open certain doors, but financial circumstances can lead people to choose very different paths.
For the Filipino worker, becoming a domestic helper was not the end of her ambitions.
It was a means of achieving them.
Her message is ultimately a practical one: pride in one’s qualifications matters less than being able to build a better future.
For workers who make difficult choices to support their families, the value of a job may not be measured by its title — but by the opportunities it creates.
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