Maria's Story: A Woman Migrant's Life during COVID
Here is a story of Maria, a Filipino migrant working as a musician in Phuket, Thailand and who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Without work or being in a no work-no pay situation, women migrant workers like Maria have to find ways to feed their children and sustain their livelihood.
Organizations like the Association of Concerned Filipinos in Thailand (ACTION-Thailand) have been conducting relief and support for migrants reeling from the impacts of the pandemic.
Migrants are part of the marginalized sections of society who bear the brunt of crisis. Governments should include them in action responses, from relaxation of visa restrictions, access to health and other social services, and even financial assistance programs.
(English translation follows right after the story written in Tagalog.)
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KWENTONG MUSIKERA SA PANAHON NG PANDEMYA
Ni Teresa Sarmiento
Si “Maria”, 35, tubong Baguio City, ay isang musikera sa napadpad sa Phuket Thailand. Nakilala niya si John na kapwa musikero at nabuo ang kanilang pamilya na biniyayaan ng dalawang anak. Ang mag-asawa ay mga irregular migrant musicians na paiba-iba ang pwestong tinutugtugan at hindi permanente ang kita. Hindi rin permanenteng may work permit ang kalagayan ng kanilang pagtratrabaho.
Bago dumating ang pandemyang Covid-19, si Maria ay hinambalos na ng samut-saring problema’t pasanin sa buhay. Nagkautang, na-overstay ang visa, naaresto si John dahil walang lisenya at passport. Nahinto sa pag-aaral ang mga anak at napilitan si Maria na mag-isang akuin ang lahat na responsibilidad at tumugtug ng solo para mairaos ang mga pangangailangan.
Nang mag-lockdown noong Marso 2020, tuluyang nawalan ng kita si Maria at umasa sa mga kaibigan, kaanak at kapwa Pinoy para may makakain at makakalap ng pangtustos sa pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan. Umalis sa nirerentahang bahay at pansamantalang nakitira sa isang kaanak.
Habang nasa lockdown, pumasok siya bilang ekstrang kasambahay at kumita ng 500-600 baht kada araw. Pero hindi rin permanente ang trabahong ito dahil maraming Pinoy na nag-aagawan sa mga ekstrang trabaho. Aniya, “Medyo mahirap pala maging kasambahay pero tiis lang upang may maipantawid at maipakain sa mga bata”.
Lumapit at humingi siya ng tulong sa ACTION. Naayos ang kanyang visa at naasikaso ang kaso ng kanyang partner hanggang sa deportasyon nito. Naging regular na recipient din siya sa relief services ng ACTION.
Sa kasalukuyan na nagluwagan ang mga covid restrictions ng Thailand, bumalik siya sa dati niyang pwesto at nakiusap kung maari na siyang muling tumugtog. Dahil sa kawalan, napilitan siyang tanggapin ang alok ng may-ari na wala munang sahod at sasagutin ang renta ng bahay. Umaasa lang siya tips ng mga kustomer at swertihan lang gabi-gabi ang kita nya. Mula 100 hanggang 300 baht, minsanan ay wala siyang tip. Isang beses ay may nagbigay ng isang libo at naiyak siya sa tuwa dahil nakabili siya ng mga gamit pang eskwela ng kanyang mga anak.
Tulad ng karamihan ng mga Pinoy dito sa Thailand ng magtapus ang visa amnesty noong Septembre 26 ay nag update siya ng tourist visa at nabiyan siya hanggang Octobre 31 para mag aplay ng extension visa. Panibagong pag-aalala ang kanyang kinakaharap lalo na’t hindi halos makasapat ang kita nya sa tips para sa kanilang pangangailangan.
Sabi pa nga ni Maria “Tugtug kapit patalim tayo ngayun. Payt lang.”
Si Maria ay salamin ng mga musikero dito sa Thailand. Nakikipagsapalaran sa ibang lugar para magkaroon ng sapat na kita, nalakbayan ang maraming pagsubok ng buhay at ngayun ay naghihintay ng pagbabalik ng sigla ng turismo sa Thailand para maibalik ang sapat na kita para mamuhay ng walang pinansyal na problema.#
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A Musician’s Story during the Pandemic
written by Teresa Sarmiento
Maria (not her real name), 35 years old, from Baguio City, is a female musician in Phuket, Thailand. There, she met John (not his real name), a fellow musician, and they were benefited with two children. Both are irregular migrant musicians who moved to different places to perform and without a steady income source.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria already faced innumerable challenges. John got arrested while Maria overstayed her visa. Their children were forced to stop schooling and Maria was forced to perform solo just to provide for her family’s needs.
When Thailand was put on lockdown last March 2020, Maria completely lost her source of livelihood and relied on support from friends, relatives and good-hearted Filipino migrants living and working there. She and her family were forced to leave their home and moved in with a relative.
Maria took a side job as a domestic worker, in which she earned 500 to 600 baht (16-20USD) a day. But this was not permanent; and she was part of many jobless migrant Filipinos looking for jobs just to earn. She said, “Domestic work is really tough but I have to endure this so I can feed my children.”
She sought help from the Association of Concerned Filipinos in Thailand (ACTION-Thailand), a Filipino migrant organization based in Phuket. With ACTION’s help, Maria was able to fix her working visa problem as well as the case of her husband until his repatriation back to the Philippines. She also became a regular recipient of ACTION’s relief services.
With COVID restrictions relaxing in Thailand, she went back to the bar owner and asked if she could perform there again. But because the bar was not receiving steady income, the bar owner allowed her to perform but on the condition that she would not receive a salary. Maria had to rely on tips from customers every night. 100 baht a night. 300 baht a night. Sometimes, nothing. One time she received a 1,000-baht tip that she shed tears of joy – finally, she could buy her children their school needs.
Like many Filipinos living and working in Thailand whose visa amnesty was to end on September 26, Maria updated her tourist visa and she was allowed to stay until October 31 to extend her visa. This was to be another problem as she would have to find ways to pay for the visa extension given she was only relying on tips to get by.
Maria said, “We have to ‘hold on to the knife’ (a Filipino metaphor for sacrifice). But we have to fight and continue on.”
Maria is the face of many migrant musicians struggling to survive in Thailand. She is one of the many who went overseas hoping to earn enough for their families back home. She now hopes that Thailand tourism revive so that they can perform and earn once more.#