New member of the family l

We become keenly cognizant of one other’s strengths and imperfections, as well as our vulnerabilities, because our core family has been with us for many years, if not decades, sharing all the good and sad, as well as in-between, memories in our home. As new family members are added, it is not unlikely that the size of the family will also grow. We really welcome them and care for them as members of our own family.

This is especially true as we age and lose the ability to perform some simple work, but it’s also crucial for healthy daily upkeep and maintaining our well-being. We are aware that our physical limits force us to seem like physically fit individuals who can handle things for us. As in the situation of a household helper, whose work and responsibilities are crucial to ensuring the upkeep of our homes.              A new individual entering our households does so in more ways than one. We see a human being with cognitive, affective, social, and spiritual senses. Respect should always be shown because everyone deserves to be treated as a complete human being with fundamental dignity. Even if our economic circumstances may be different, everyone has a natural right to dignity. This is in addition to the fundamental rights outlined in the law, such as the right to at least three appropriate meals per day, humane sleeping conditions, and a 13th-month salary, among others. What distinguishes humans from the creatures is how we treat other people.

The dynamics of the families we are a part of change throughout time, just as our inner landscape does in response to the world outside of us. When we accept someone into our family, something changes; the energy of our nuclear family changes. A new path in the life of the family as a whole might be signaled by the birth or adoption of a child, the arrival of a spouse or stepparent into our home.

The labeling of the meal as a “yaya meal” for our housekeeper, for example, reflects a sociocultural reality where some members of our society still view kasambahay as being beneath ordinary citizens. We therefore make a plea for everyone to use tact and propriety by refraining from actions or remarks that are insulting to the socioeconomic level of kasambahay. We kindly request that we treat them with the same respect as other formal sector workers, whose labor serves as the foundation for all enterprises.

As we ourselves call for decent labor and fair and equitable treatment for the thousands of Filipinos working overseas as household service workers, we should be the first to provide our kasambahay the respect they deserve in accordance with the time-honored adage “Charity begins at home.” Keep in mind that treating them with decency is a right, not a privilege, one they should earn. When a family member commits to a serious love relationship, we expect another person to join our family as well. At some point, a particular arrangement can be made to welcome this new person into the family as a husband or wife. Being a close-knit family, we permit family members to stay with us for practical and emotional reasons because we still want them to be under our care.

We do not express and share our love only because of a shared bloodline; rather, it is our sincere desire to treat everyone who suddenly comes into our lives like our Savior.