ASHA: From being "super maids" to Excellent Professional Hotel Housekeepers

Ask a Briton what he thinks describes a Pinoy and probably, he'll say "maid". Several years ago, a dictitionary released an edition which shows an entry about "Pinoy". And what's the description or the synonym? Its Filipina or Pinay. 

It is time to change all that. 

Fact is, who is that poor minded guy who advised former president Gloria Arroyo to launch that "super maid" program? Whoever that guy or gal was, he did the Filipino People a great disservice.

Now, the tag of being a maid has now been clearly associated with a Filipina or a Pinay. Such an anomaly of sorts.

There is now a growing movement of citizens who want to uplift the dignity and the proud heritage of the Filipino. These Filipinos want to encourage our poor brothers and sisters to at least consider other jobs instead of getting or allowing themselves to become domestic helpers.

For example, do you know that for as low as 35,000, you'll be able to get a certificate on housekeeping? A TESDA-certified course being offered by the Philippines' top hotel school, the Asian School of Hospitality Arts allows an OFW or a prospective OFW to increase his job prospects and income by being a hotel staff housekeeper. Instead of getting a maid's job, why not be a hotel housekeeper? That is more profitable than being a maid and more worthy than being a domestic helper. 

Susan Ople, a friend and convenor of the Ople Labor Policy Center, an NGO which takes care of OFWs, agrees and says that our recruitment agencies should instead look for hotel staff jobs to offer our fellow Filipinos instead of the usual domestic helper posts.

At ASHA, that 30 or 35,000 investment for a 3-month professional housekeeping course could be remanded back to the enrollee through the school's "apprenticeship" program. 

The apprenticeship program gives enrollees the chance to work while studying. The enrollee spends 300 hours as an apprentice WITH PAY. After his apprenticeship, the enrollee is then placed as an employee in a 5-star hotel or restaurant, either here or abroad. 

IMagine that. After three months, you'll be able to get a certificate on professional housekeeping and use this as your entrypoint or springboard to a nice, stable and lucrative hotel and restaurant industry.