Psychiatric test for domestic helpers impractical, says expert

MANILA, Philippines – An expert said yesterday there is no psychiatric procedure that can guarantee that a person will not break down if placed in a hostile environment away from loved ones.

Dr. Reynaldo Lesaka, a psychiatrist at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, said the proposal of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to require Filipino domestic workers to undergo psychiatric tests before their departure is impractical.

“No one can give a full guarantee a person will not break down if she is away from family or being abused by her employer. No one is exempt to have a break down if you are in a hostile environment,” Lesaka told The STAR.

He said what the government should do is to create local employment so that Filipinos would no longer have to go abroad to better their lives.

The expert noted the government should also ensure that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) get adequate protection in embassies and consulate offices in case they are being subjected to exploitation and abuses abroad.

He claimed there are only some 500 active psychiatrists, which are not enough to provide at least one-hour psychiatric evaluation to each OFW.

“It’s the government officials that should undergo psychiatric tests. I don’t think they consulted psychiatrists about their ‘bright’ idea,” Lesaka added.

‘DFA should take psycho test’

Meanwhile, Migrante International said that DFA officials should undergo psychiatric test if they really believe that it is necessary to assure that OFWs won’t snap in their working place.

The group said requiring OFWS to undergo psychiatric test before leaving for employment is an absurd policy that would typecast them as “lunatics.”

“The Department of Foreign Affairs should realize that deplorable working conditions overseas; verbal, physical, emotional and sexual abuse; torture and non-payment of wages are major factors that drive OFWs to the brink of insanity,” Migrante chair Connie Bragas-Regalado said in a statement.

Regalado noted that most of the time OFWs commit crimes to defend themselves while others were just victims of frame-up and not because they were suffering from mental disorder.

OFWs like Sarah Balabagan, Mary Jane Ramos and Joselito Alejo committed heinous crimes, but escaped execution because they were found merely defending themselves, she said.

“It is the DFA and definitely not the OFWs who should have their heads examined if they really believe mandatory psychiatric tests could help prevent OFWs from snapping in the workplace,” Regalado added.

She also criticized Vice President Noli de Castro and Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos for considering “a preposterous and anti-migrant proposal.”

“It is such a shame that those who are directly responsible for pushing migrants rights are the ones who are blind and deaf to the real issues OFWs face,” Regalado said.

Earlier, the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters Inc. (FAME) also expressed strong opposition to the proposal, which they claim would drive many Filipino domestic helpers to leave the country illegally.

The DFA is reportedly set to require Filipinos applying to work as domestic helpers abroad to undergo psychiatric test starting Sept. 1.

DFA is enforcing the new policy in apparent effort to curb the rising number of welfare cases, mostly involving Filipino household workers.

Labor officials said the DFA move is for the protection and welfare of domestic helpers who are vulnerable to abuses committed by foreign employers. – With Mayen Jaymalin