When Ana Villanueva first stepped into the towering condominium in Singapore, she felt a mix of awe and nervousness. She had worked as a laundry helper in Manila before, but this was her first time working abroad. At 29, she had left her hometown in Bulacan and her three younger siblings in the care of her widowed mother. The responsibility of being the breadwinner weighed heavily on her, but so did her determination to give them a better life.
Her employers, the Tan family, lived on the 25th floor of a modern building in the heart of Orchard Road. Mr. Tan was a businessman often traveling abroad, while Mrs. Tan stayed at home to take care of their two children, Aaron and Mia. Ana’s contract included cooking, cleaning, laundry, and assisting with the children.
The first days were difficult. The Tans had a strict routine: meals at set hours, clothes folded in a particular way, and weekly schedules to follow. Mrs. Tan was particular about cleanliness, and Ana often repeated tasks until they met her standards. At night, in her small room near the kitchen, Ana would sometimes cry silently, wondering if she had made the right decision.
But as weeks passed, she began to adjust. She memorized the family’s preferences Aaron like his rice with soy sauce, Mia preferred her milk warm, and Mrs. Tan loved the bathrooms to smell of lavender. Slowly, she gained confidence. She even learned to navigate Singapore’s efficient transport system during her weekly day-off, exploring Little India, Chinatown, and Marina Bay Sands with fellow OFWs she had met at church.
What Ana loved most was cooking. Though her main task was to prepare local Singaporean dishes like chicken rice and laksa, she sometimes introduced Filipino food. One Sunday, she cooked adobo for the family. To her surprise, they enjoyed it so much that Mrs. Tan requested it again the following week. That small compliment made Ana feel appreciated in a way she hadn’t expected.
Still, the hardest part of her life was missing her family. Every payday, she sent most of her salary home so her siblings could continue studying. On her days off, she would but little gifts to ship back shirts, shoes, even chocolates. The joy on her mother’s face during video calls kept her going.
One turning point came when Mia, the youngest child, grew attached to her. At bedtime, the little girl often asked Ana to read her stories. One evening, when Ana was about to leave the room, Mia whispered, ” I wish you were my second mama.” Ana’s heart swelled with mixed emotions gratitude for being valued, and sadness for missing her own sibling’s childhood.
After two years, when Ana completed her contract, the Tan family asked her to renew. This time, she negotiated a higher salary, not for herself but so she could save more for her family. By then, her eldest sibling was already preparing for college a dream that Ana’s sacrifice had made possible.
As she stood on the balcony of the condominium one night, gazing at the city lights, Ana reflected on her journey. The skyscrapers of Singapore were far from the rice fields of Bulacan, but they had become the backdrop of her resilience. She realized that being a housekeeper wasn’t just about cleaning homes it was about opening doors for her loved ones back home.
