Abused Filipino Maids Taught How to Manage Money

Filipino women who have been abused by their bosses in the United Arab Emirates are learning how to manage money before they are sent back to the Philippines, according to a report in The National newspaper.

Most of the women have spent months at a shelter in the U.A.E. capital of Abu Dhabi that's run by the Filipino government. Financial literacy workshops are being hosted by a group that trains Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates on how to budget and save, according to The National's Ramona Ruiz.

Despite everything you've been through, you need to continue to dream of a better life, a finance and administration manager in Abu Dhabi, Bal Junio, told the 60 women, mostly housemaids.

The maids are sheltered at the Filipino Workers Resources Center at the embassy. Most of them fled their employers' homes after complaining of unpaid salaries, lack of food and sleep and long working hours, according to The National's report. At one workshop, a maid said she was looking forward to going home next month after receiving her back wages from her employer, having not been paid in two-and-a-half months.

Lack of planning, overspending and the over-dependence of family on remittances are some reasons why Filipinos abroad end up not fulfilling their goals, she said to The National.

Most household workers in the oil-rich U.A.E. earn just $200 a month.