By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
The inday before vs. the inday today
This is a photo of the people who make my house pleasant to stay. Clockwise, I have Romeo, the gardener; Blu my grandson; Dessa Andoy, the nanay-nanayan of my children and grandchildren, Telly, the author; Edna Pernia, the florist; Sionie, the Ramvil secretary; and Tating Mendez, my link to Dessa for her wifi because Dessa does not have a phone.
The common word of endearment we give to our domestic helper is inday. In this issue I want to bring back the time when our inday lived with her dignity, loyalty, and the trait of being industrious. In my grandmother’s time, growing up made me see the “mga inday” as single ladies who dreamt of a better life for their families. They were dignified, were conscious of how they behaved and dressed up properly.
They always tried to send financial aid to their family in the province. They would only leave your house as helpers, because they were either getting married or going to Manila and the big cities for a greener pasture. They always believed that the househelp’s pay was always bigger in the cities. As soon as they would come home from the big city back to Bohol, they would never miss visiting their old employer here. Makalipay gyud nga dili sila makalimot pagbisita sa ilang agalon kanhi nga maoy naghatag kanila ug pagbansay-bansay kung unsaon ang pagpangluto, paglimpyo sa balay, ug pag pahiluna sa mga gamit sa talad kan-anan.
At that time, there was no liquified petroleum gas (LPG). The helper had to be contented with a fireplace which she had to clean every night before going to bed. She had to gather pieces of firewood to be placed under the fireplace.
Before, as the helper washed the clothes, she had to follow a process. She had to remember that the white dresses were supposed to be exposed to the sun. Kanang iladtad gyud ang mga puti nga mga sinina. An mga dekolor nga mga panapton dili gyud itapo sa mga puti.At that time, there was no powdered detergent yet. Tide was the first offered in the market. We felt satisfaction using Tide as it made our washing at the Baliaut Spring easier. Before Tide, only the Perla and Argo brands of soap were available. In order not to burn our clothes exposed to the heat of the sun, these clothes had to be applied with Argo and Perla mixed with ANIEL colored blue.
Most houses then had vegetables planted in pots near the dapugan. This dapugan was built in an area separate from the main house and located near the bathroom and the rest room.
But now, the world has, indeed, changed in the field of househelp employment. The ones applying for this position are mostly married women who are in their late twenties and above, and they are those who have children mostly from different fathers.
And yet here’s this program of government giving subsidy to single parents. I think we have to qualify and classify, these single parents. Isn’t it that we have birth control for couples for responsible parenthood? Isn’t it that tax exemption is only up to four children per family?” And what do our statistics reveal? Girls 15 to 18 have repeat pregnancies. And the government is making laws of giving aids and any kind of aids for that matter to these girls? For what? So these young girls will repeatedly do the mistake? Has the government ever thought of the feelings of the diligent taxpayers? These taxpayers are gasping for breath due to high prices of basic food and commodities.
Unya magsige pa gyud ug panganak ang mga batan-on nga mga babaye nga walay kasiguradohan kung suportahan bas a amahan. And to think, further, that for the helper’s benefit, we have to pay for her increased amount for the SSS, GSIS, Philhealth, etc. which the government institutions are imposing upon us.
Reading the January 26, 2025 editorial written by Atty Greg Austral, I feel scared now about what’s happening to human dignity and sex. Is this the result of the early sex education in school coupled with the indiscriminate use of the mobile phone?
Going back to helpers, I must admit that, now, unlike before, I have difficulty managing them. They are married women with children of schooling ages. Nalooy ko nila kay batan-on pa kaayo mabuwag sa ilang pamilya tungod sa ilang pagpanarbaho. Pero makapungot pud hunahunaon nga nahungog sila sa CELLPHONE. Usahay gani, kung wala silay load, ang akong landline maoy gamiton. Wala na’y klarong trabaho nga mahimo tungod kay ga-atang na man kung kinsay manawag sa cellphone.
They sleep late in the evening as they talk and chat and chat and talk using the cellphone. During the day, they feel sleepy. As I sleep, they also sleep. When you call their attention, the next day, they ask permission to go home. They don’t even like to clean the yard under the sun. Madaot kuno ang kutis. Tiaw bah?
That’s why I really miss my household help of 27 years. And most of all, my children and my grandchildren are missing her, too. When we have this feeling, we go and visit her at her residence on the hills of Canggawa.