Seven months into the Covid-19 pandemic, one Macau-based family has continued to lead a donation drive to assist migrant workers who have lost their jobs or have been on a no-pay leave scheme since mid-February.
Many employers, including small and medium enterprises and gaming operators, laid off a significant number of workers during the first wave of the pandemic due to the economic downturn in the city.
Official data shows that some 10,700 migrant workers have left the city since the beginning of the year.
Some have chosen to stay in the city in the hopes of finding a new employer.
As for couple Michael and Cynthia De Haas, it is high time for these workers to receive help from the city they choose to work in.
Speaking to the Times, they explained that their charity drive initially kicked off by preparing home-cooked meals once a day to assist a number of Filipino workers who were on a no-pay leave agreement. It then evolved to even offer loans to those who were in need of financial assistance to pay agency fees to acquire new jobs.
“We [initially] prepared meals for a week and a half and we figured out that wasn’t the most efficient way. Also, we gathered more and more requests for people that were in a similar situation,” explained Cynthia De Haas.
“They were coming from all different kinds of companies: whether it’s from Menzies or casino companies. The group was of about 30, and then we started to do [weekly deliveries of food and toiletries]. We really looked at what they needed in order to stay healthy and to keep them happy in these difficult times,” she said.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, a number of private individuals and associations – including religious groups – have been leading donation drives for unemployed migrants, especially during the first three months of the pandemic.
However, due to the number of repatriation flights that have already taken place, with many migrant workers having gone back to their home countries, these donation drives have slowly decreased.
The De Haas family are planning to continue their drive, with the help of friends, until October.
“We figured out that we are pretty fortunate to be living in a very nice city and having a healthy family. […] We have heard different stories and just knowing that we are in a very fortunate position, we want to help the community in some ways,” Cynthia De Haas said.
Now in its 23rd week, the couple, along with their friends, have delivered about 650 packs of meals, food and toiletries.
“It really depends on what they need. Throughout the months, we got to know them, so we’re helping them out in looking for new jobs and with giving them loans to pay agency fees,” she said.
“If one goes back to the Philippines, how can we help them? If one wants to stay here how can we make sure that they have a new job. [The help] is personalized to make sure that everybody is helped as much as possible.”
The groups that have been mostly helping these affected migrant workers are private individuals and religious groups. Government organizations are not obliged to cater to their needs, as they prioritize local residents who are below the poverty threshold.
For the couple, from a humanitarian and community perspective, these people have been “missed” by the government, as there is a lack of organization when it comes to the ones catering to the city’s non-resident workers.
Not only did the pandemic shine a light on how Macau is heavily reliant on consumption from the outside, it also showed how there is a lack of interest in assisting these workers.
“There is still a great opportunity for more giving back. […] Whether it’s local people in poverty or migrant workers that are working for little [pay],” said Michael De Haas.
“There is so much more opportunity for the city, as wealthy as it is, to do so much better than it is [doing] today. The city is wealthy. These [local] charities get good funding from various organizations, yet we still have people who are struggling so there’s a problem somewhere.”
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