Looking for a yaya? Drop by McKinley Road ‘drive thru’

MANILA, Philippines – A street in Makati City has practically been turned into a “drive thru” for people looking for household helpers.

Aspiring nannies, helpers and drivers gather on McKinley Road in Forbes Park, one of the country’s most exclusive villages, hoping to be picked up by their future employers.

When the ABS-CBN News team arrived in Forbes Park, the applicants dispersed and some of them appealed to the news team not to do a story on them.

They are worried that if the “drive thru” becomes public, more people looking of household jobs will troop to the exclusive subdivision and become their competition.

Still, some applicants approached the news team and told their stories.

Reynaldo Caya said he’s been trying to get a job in the exclusive village for more than a month. He said he wants a job at Forbes Park because it’s well-known and its residents are well-off.

Caya said he always carries with him his police and barangay clearance, which he hands out to motorists passing by their line.

“Nakaugalian na talaga ng mga tao na dito kumuha, lalo na kapag Martes madami kami dito,” he said.

Other applicants said that McKinley Road has become a popular “hangout” for job applicants, for over a decade.

They said employers do not only come from Forbes Park, but also from places as far as Alabang in Muntinlupa and Caloocan City.

The job applicants said they’re banned from lingering on the road, but theytake their chances out of a dire need to find a job.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) warned against getting employees through the “drive thru” procedure even if applicants have documents.

Nicanor Bon of DOLE’s wage and hour standard division said potential employers should carefully check the documents being presented by the applicants.

He added that it would even be better if the helper hunters would hire from private recruitment and placement agencies that are duly authorized by the DOLE.

Those who are looking for jobs are also advised to go to public employment service office in local government units to submit their applications. –Sol Aragones, ABS-CBN News