A lucky Filipina who received a house and lot from her employers in Abu Dhabi back in 2017 recently received another wonderful big-ticket gift: a car!
Back in 2017, Dina Tenerife Celo received Dh23,000 (Php328,600) from her employers to buy a lot in her hometown in Camarines Sur, Philippines.
Celo’s kindhearted employer Melissa McPike is an American married to an Emirati in Abu Dhabi. The couple have two children, Saeed and Saif. Because Celo had taken care of the children and had worked in the family for a long time, Ms. McPike no longer treats her as a hired help but as family.
To give back to the domestic helper after her many years of serving the family, McPike decided to give her money for the lot. Afterwards, the kindhearted employer also funded the construction of a 2-bedroom home for Celo and her family.
“It was the least she could do for Celo by helping her own her dream home. We do not consider her as an employee. She is one of our family. She has done so much for me and my children when they were young. I wanted to give back something to her,” McPike explained.
When Celo’s son also found work in the United Arab Emirates, she would take two bus rides from her employer’s home to visit her son from time to time. This worked well for the loving mom until the bus routes were changed in December 2018. Instead of taking two buses, she now has to take a total of five!
McPike took notice of this and decided to give her another gift, a car.
“She (Ms. McPike) always sees me chasing after the bus to visit my son who lives in another part of the country. It normally takes me two bus rides to pay him a visit which can prove to be tiresome. I am very thankful for this present,” Celo happily said.
“What used to be two bus rides now turned into five.”
The car wasn’t the only gifts she received from the family because they also gave her special Christmas presents; though she did not reveal what these were.
She’s truly lucky to be employed in this generous family.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
Back in 2017, Dina Tenerife Celo received Dh23,000 (Php328,600) from her employers to buy a lot in her hometown in Camarines Sur, Philippines.
Celo’s kindhearted employer Melissa McPike is an American married to an Emirati in Abu Dhabi. The couple have two children, Saeed and Saif. Because Celo had taken care of the children and had worked in the family for a long time, Ms. McPike no longer treats her as a hired help but as family.
 |
| McPike and her sons |Photo credit: Khaleej Times |
To give back to the domestic helper after her many years of serving the family, McPike decided to give her money for the lot. Afterwards, the kindhearted employer also funded the construction of a 2-bedroom home for Celo and her family.
“It was the least she could do for Celo by helping her own her dream home. We do not consider her as an employee. She is one of our family. She has done so much for me and my children when they were young. I wanted to give back something to her,” McPike explained.
 |
| Celo and her son | Photo credit: Khaleej Times |
When Celo’s son also found work in the United Arab Emirates, she would take two bus rides from her employer’s home to visit her son from time to time. This worked well for the loving mom until the bus routes were changed in December 2018. Instead of taking two buses, she now has to take a total of five!
McPike took notice of this and decided to give her another gift, a car.
“She (Ms. McPike) always sees me chasing after the bus to visit my son who lives in another part of the country. It normally takes me two bus rides to pay him a visit which can prove to be tiresome. I am very thankful for this present,” Celo happily said.
“What used to be two bus rides now turned into five.”
 |
| Photo credit: Khaleej Times |
The car wasn’t the only gifts she received from the family because they also gave her special Christmas presents; though she did not reveal what these were.
She’s truly lucky to be employed in this generous family.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
