‘Never too late’: Filipino domestic helpers pursue degree dreams they put on hold
When Dyan Agonoy left the Philippines to work as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, she had to leave her family behind. “I’ve missed a lot of my kids’ milestones, our special occasions. I’m always the only one missing from the pictures,” she said. Agonoy left university, married young and started a family. Without the bachelor’s degree required for many jobs, she took up domestic work abroad.…
Dyan Agonoy and Gelanie Aguilario, Filipino domestic helpers working in Hong Kong, were determined to pursue their dreams of earning bachelor’s degrees, despite the challenges they faced. Both women had left their families behind to work abroad and had previously attempted to earn a degree, but faced obstacles such as pregnancy and family obligations.
When they discovered FullPhils, a non-profit organization that subsidizes 80% of the costs for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to earn bachelor’s degrees, their lives changed. The online, fully asynchronous courses allowed Aguilario and Agonoy to balance their studies with their full-time jobs. They said time management and support from friends, family, and employers were essential to their success.
In February 2024, both women graduated, with Aguilario achieving her dream of becoming a teacher and Agonoy planning to become a teacher in the Philippines or elsewhere, so her family could join her. FullPhils, founded by 14-year-old Emilio Baja in 2022, draws on a Philippine government initiative to convert five years of work experience into credits towards a bachelor’s degree, allowing eligible OFWs to graduate in as little as six months.
Baja hopes to expand the programme to help more OFWs pursue their dreams, believing that sacrifice shouldn't require surrendering one's future.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
