As the COVID-19 outbreak crisis unfolds, large gatherings of people have started to attract attention. Not surprisingly, the tradition of Filipino foreign workers congregating at Lucky Plaza in Singapore has come under the spotlight…
Every Sunday, large groups of maids congregate at Lucky Plaza and the open fields beside Kallang and Paya Lebar MRT stations. When meeting their friends, these foreign domestic workers take food and beverages that they have prepared at home to consume together at these gatherings. When they leave, empty food packs and drink cans are strewn at these places.
Even as the risk of such gatherings to the continued spread of COVID-19 is made relevant in the current context, the much older issue of littering in these gatherings also came to light…
While the littering has always been a problem, shouldn’t the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training encourage maids to use its in-house facilities during this period, to reduce the danger of spreading the coronavirus in the community?
The debate continues.
Perhaps the crowded conditions Filipinos are accustomed to and the particular circumstances that Filipino workers in Singapore have to cope with need to be considered. However, given that many are now in agreement that today’s crisis situation demands that even the most sacred traditions be challenged, it is time for clear minds to prevail.
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