‘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.

Gelanie Aguilario faced a similar plight. She twice tried to earn a bachelor’s degree – first in political science, hoping to become a lawyer, and then in education – but pregnancy and family obligations derailed her plans.