Pagtitiis as Resistance: Centering the Narratives of Foreign Filipino Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong SAR

While a growing body of research on migration and mental health has started to illuminate the complex interplay between structural and individual factors affecting the mental well-being of foreign Filipino domestic helpers (FFDHs) in destination countries, there remains a gap in understanding how they strategically navigate and negotiate their mental health within transnational contexts. Employing a multi-scalar feminist sociological approach, this study utilized pakikipagkuwentuhan to center narratives of 32 FFDHs in Hong Kong. Preliminary findings show how FFDHs strategically utilize pagtitiis as both coping mechanism and resistance, highlighting their nuanced ways of exercising agency within structural constraints. This paper contributes to a more sophisticated understanding of mental health challenges faced by FFDHs, while advancing resilience-centered perspectives that recognize marginalized communities’ capacities for self determination. Findings provide insights for developing equitable mental health support systems and labor policies in both Hong Kong and the Philippines.