It has come to my attention that GEMMA/GIE MACARAIG LALANTACON has been posting on various sites spreading blatant and vicious lies, terming me as "The Employer from Hell".
THIS IS THE MOST WONDERFUL NEWS I HAVE EVER HEARD, AND THIS FILLS MY HEART WITH JOY. This is a clear indication that my personal crusade to stop GEMMA/GIE MACARAIG LALANTACON from abusing and maltreating other innocent children has affected her and hopefully, alerted other mothers (and families).
I feel that defending myself only dignifies this woman's blatant lies but anyone who knows me will attest that I treat our household staff as if they are family members. If I am truly the "employer from hell" as this woman insanely claims, then I doubt that my two yayas and 1 cook would have more than 15 years combined tenure with me (with one of them actually turning down a high-paying OFW placement to continue working for us). I may not be the perfect employer at all times, but God knows this woman, GEMMA/GIE MACARAIG LALANTACON is inventing stories about us simply because I have made it my crusade to prevent her from victimizing other innocent children. I sleep well at night knowing that the truth is on my side as confirmed by many.
Anybody who abuses kids is sick in the head. If I were the only one accusing her of such inhumanity, then perhaps she would even deserve some benefit of the doubt. But three different mothers whose children have been victimized have told the same story.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
An Ex-Employer's Reply (Gemma Macaraig Lalantacon-Yaya From Hell)
This is the email from Gie/Gemma's ex-employer, the daughter of a prominent Fil-Chinese family I mentioned in my earlier post. Although it came in unexpectedly...the email is still a painful news because it only proves that Gemma/Gie has victimized so many children!
From MG:
Hi Doris,
This Gemma was also my kid's yaya when my kid was 1. My kid is now 7. Gemma was with me for 6 months. I also kicked her out because she was physically abusing my girl. I actually told the agency but they never believed me. Months after, the same agency told me that Germa was kicked out by her next amo because she was also abusing her alaga. Anyway, its good that you're sending this email to everybody. I wouldn't want that to happen to any other child.
From MG:
Hi Doris,
This Gemma was also my kid's yaya when my kid was 1. My kid is now 7. Gemma was with me for 6 months. I also kicked her out because she was physically abusing my girl. I actually told the agency but they never believed me. Months after, the same agency told me that Germa was kicked out by her next amo because she was also abusing her alaga. Anyway, its good that you're sending this email to everybody. I wouldn't want that to happen to any other child.
My Reply:
Hi M,
Thank you for your message. Its really time to break this cycle of abuse, and your email just makes me more determined to pass on the word to as many people as I can.
I don't know if you noticed, but I actually alluded to you in my original email (but of course not mentioning names to respect your privacy). Its funny that Gie/Gemma kept on insisting that she was your daughter's nanny "since birth until she was 6", and that "sya ang nagpalaki sa bata". How shocking to learn that she only lasted 6 months with you. Her lies even continued with my own son, because fellow nannies in his school all thought that Gie/Gemma likewise raised him from birth. Actually, the reality is that she only came in when he was 3.
I don't know if you noticed, but I actually alluded to you in my original email (but of course not mentioning names to respect your privacy). Its funny that Gie/Gemma kept on insisting that she was your daughter's nanny "since birth until she was 6", and that "sya ang nagpalaki sa bata". How shocking to learn that she only lasted 6 months with you. Her lies even continued with my own son, because fellow nannies in his school all thought that Gie/Gemma likewise raised him from birth. Actually, the reality is that she only came in when he was 3.
You would not believe this but the email gained so much momentum that countless people wrote me to express their concern. Unfortunately, my email didnt reach Carol J (a friend of my sisters in law) in time because her sons also fell victims to Gemma/Gie...considering that she only worked for them for less than 2 weeks! Sadly, all three of us had a similar bad experience. Which brings me to a potential call to action: since there are a number of us who can verify Gemma maltreatment perhaps we can file formal charges with the authorities. I suppose solidarity is needed if we go through this to ensure that no innocent child will be hurt again by Gemma/Gie. Carol already made so many steps including writing almost all administration/security offices of several villages. She has filed a blotter against Gemma/Gie in the baranggay (weak but could be a start) while I filed a police blotter in Taguig area where she lives. We are thinking that a concerted effort would be more beneficial. The internet is truly amazing! Thank you again for your heartening reply.
Yaya From Hell (Gemma Macaraig Lalantacon) - Police Blotter Filed
That's her photo on the table...Did this last Jan 24. Still finding the time to file a complaint at the DSWD...I am still trying to post a copy of the blotter in PDF file - still can't figure how to do that at the moment.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Gemma is Penetrating Malacanang!
I received a text message from Carol last Friday saying that the Presidential Security Group (PSG) has just interviewed Gemma for a yaya position for one of Angela Montenegro Arroyo's kids. Angela is the wife of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's eldest son, Mikee! Carol learned of this job application from her friend (brother of Angela). Gemma/Gie Macaraig Lalantacon, made it to the top 5 of the interviewees that day. I am not surprised to hear that...she has that ability to deceive people that she is a PERFECT YAYA! Another shocking piece of information I received from Carol is that Gemma/Gie Macaraig Lalantacon listed my husband and another former employer (who fired her also because she was caught hurting her daughter) as references! Carol thinks Gie/Gemma Macaraig Lalantacon is crazy but I say she is not sick that way...she has a sick mind, a mind of an evil person!
Carol's Strength...and Wrath!
I was ready to forget the bad yaya experience and move on. Tintin Bersola, based solely on my email, wanted to talk to me about the possibility of taking this to media. I was very hesistant to do this since I was the lone accuser. Then that faithful day happened when my sister-in-law, Techie, told me to check her Facebook page for a comment she made on her friend's note.
The note was from Carol Jorge. As soon as I saw her profile photo with two infants on her lap, I immediately knew that she is a loving and devoted mother to her children. So I understood right away how the horrible 7-day experience affected her and her children. I did not waste time to get in touch with her. I learned how she got Gemma/Gie and she told me the disturbing accounts from her 3- and 5 yr-old children regarding how Gemma maltreated them.
Since that initial conversation, Carol was able to cover a lot of groundwork in reaching to as many families as she can to warn them about Gemma/Gie as well as informing the authorities about her evil scheme:
1. She wrote the security offices of most of the posh villages where Gemma targets potential employers
2. She informed teachers from her sons' schools about her experience and requested that the school relay her message to the other parents
3. She filed a police blotter against Gemma and planning to do the same at the DSWD.
Carol may not realize it yet but she has been a pillar of strength for my crusade against Gemma/Gie. Finally, I have found someone who can verify Gemma/Gie's maltreatment of kids so that I can start to file formal charges with the authorities. I suppose solidarity is needed to go through this fight against child abuse. I am continuously coordinating with Carol to put Gemma/Gie in her proper place and to ensure that she can no longer inflict trauma on innocent and helpless children.
The note was from Carol Jorge. As soon as I saw her profile photo with two infants on her lap, I immediately knew that she is a loving and devoted mother to her children. So I understood right away how the horrible 7-day experience affected her and her children. I did not waste time to get in touch with her. I learned how she got Gemma/Gie and she told me the disturbing accounts from her 3- and 5 yr-old children regarding how Gemma maltreated them.
Since that initial conversation, Carol was able to cover a lot of groundwork in reaching to as many families as she can to warn them about Gemma/Gie as well as informing the authorities about her evil scheme:
1. She wrote the security offices of most of the posh villages where Gemma targets potential employers
2. She informed teachers from her sons' schools about her experience and requested that the school relay her message to the other parents
3. She filed a police blotter against Gemma and planning to do the same at the DSWD.
Carol may not realize it yet but she has been a pillar of strength for my crusade against Gemma/Gie. Finally, I have found someone who can verify Gemma/Gie's maltreatment of kids so that I can start to file formal charges with the authorities. I suppose solidarity is needed to go through this fight against child abuse. I am continuously coordinating with Carol to put Gemma/Gie in her proper place and to ensure that she can no longer inflict trauma on innocent and helpless children.
Yaya from Hell - Part 2
It seems that being victimized by a wicked individual becomes doubly upsetting when you hear news that the same awful person was able to maltreat someone else. This is further magnified when children are involved. I hope you can all take a moment to read about my distressing (yet in some ways, fortuitous) experience, and how the situation has turned out since. Pardon the length of this email but reading through it could help protect the welfare of your child.
Who would have thought that a woman named GEMMA MACARAIG LALANTACON (also known as “Gie”) would actually become – to some extent – an advocacy for me. She came to us supposedly as an experienced nanny (“yaya”) with stories of how she was the long-time, trusted nanny of the granddaughter of one of the most prominent Filipino-Chinese tycoons in the country. Admittedly, we were impressed by the rouse: this woman had a practiced way with words, and fairly convincing. Sadly, after eight months, we found out that she was indeed a “yaya from hell”.
While on a family vacation, I witnessed with my own two eyes how she physically abused my 4 year old son (of course I saw this when she thought I was not looking). After a thorough investigation, my husband and I discovered that she had been doing this ever since she became employed, strategically choosing areas of the body that would not leave any visible marks. Moreover, she would lock our son in the bathroom with no lights on, and verbally insult him. Our other household help, it seemed, were terrified of her as well.
After firing her, I sent out a very detailed account of my experience via email. I struggled with myself for weeks before doing this, but eventually I figured that if I could help warn others about this potential threat to their children, it would be worth it. As the email circulated, the first interesting thing happened: it reached the daughter of the Filipino-Chinese tycoon (whose child Gemma supposedly “raised”, and where she was considered a “part of the family” for years) and she told me that Gemma had in fact only worked for her for six months. She was fired on the spot because she got caught physically maltreating the child. Complaints were lodged at the agency, and in fact they confirmed that Gemma’s next employer likewise fired her for child abuse.
After some time, I was horrified to learn that yet another employer (who apparently did not receive my email) had sent a similar mass warning (via email and facebook) about Gemma. With permission, here is her exact message:
Hi Doris,
My name is Carol Jorge. We are victims of GEMMA, THE YAYA FROM HELL! Attached is my warning to all mommys which i wrote just this afternoon and started to send out now. Just minutes ago, one of my friends forwarded an email that you had circulated a long time ago. I am shocked to see the same face!!!! Too bad your email never reached me. I feel for you and your child. I hope he is not traumatized as my sons are now.
Is it ok to ask you for your cel number? or you may call me at 0917-XXXXXXX.
Thanks,
Carol
From: Carol Jorge <carol_jorge@xxx.xxx>
Date: January 8, 2009 12:48:49 PM GMT+08:00
To: All Contacts
Subject: IMG_3957.JPG
WARNING TO ALL MOMMYS!!!
I just want you to beware of a yaya (picture attached), who goes by the name of GEMMA MACARAIG, 42 years old. We fired her because she hurt my 5-yr old son, Ronin, and left bruises on his body.
But there's more. Let me also warn you that she presents herself as one who provides helpers but will also say that she will allow herself to be hired temporarily. Little did we know that this was her Modus Operandi. Since she is running somthing like an agency illegally (no business license, no taxes, nor rent), the only way she could get recruits is to either get hired temporarily (example 1 week) or send sombody into any household for the main purpose of recruiting helpers. In that 1 week that she worked for us, she had already sought to recruit all our houshold help, as well as my parent's and in-laws' and bruised our son's ribs in the process.
So beware and please pass this message to your friends and relatives.
Carol Jorge
This had gone too far. By coincidence, this lady was a friend of both my sisters-in-law, so we got in touch with each other soon thereafter. With renewed enthusiasm, I found out the following details:
· Gemma now moonlights as a self-styled “placement agency”. Her modus operandi is to “pirate” all her fellow employees in whichever household she finds herself in, promising them a higher salary.
· She got into this scheme immediately after working for me. She actually had flyers made advertising her services, much to the consternation of her then-employer. This family, after growing tired of Gemma’s sideline and suspecting her activity as a prelude to criminal intentions, one day found that Gemma had disappeared without a trace.
· Even when she was employed by me, Gemma has a confirmed habit of making her fellow helpers (specifically those who came before her) fight one another by sowing intrigue. This is in the hope of the employer eventually firing the warring parties, leaving Gemma the last person standing. She then recommends replacements, whom she now understandably has “power” over. Very, very devious operation indeed.
· If and when she gets caught red-handed, she will say that the child hit her first.
Joined by a growing number of concerned parents, I would therefore like to repeat my warning: please, PLEASE be wary of hiring this woman. We are taking the necessary legal steps in order to stop her cycle of abuse, but we are worried that she might just “charm” her way into another household and end up physically maltreating yet another innocent child. For reference, I am again including a recent picture of GEMMA MACARAIG LALANTACON.
GEMMA/GIE MACARAIG LALANTACON - Photo taken in Baguio (December 2008) provided by Carol...also a mother, whose son was victimized by this Yaya from Hell.
Who would have thought that a woman named GEMMA MACARAIG LALANTACON (also known as “Gie”) would actually become – to some extent – an advocacy for me. She came to us supposedly as an experienced nanny (“yaya”) with stories of how she was the long-time, trusted nanny of the granddaughter of one of the most prominent Filipino-Chinese tycoons in the country. Admittedly, we were impressed by the rouse: this woman had a practiced way with words, and fairly convincing. Sadly, after eight months, we found out that she was indeed a “yaya from hell”.
While on a family vacation, I witnessed with my own two eyes how she physically abused my 4 year old son (of course I saw this when she thought I was not looking). After a thorough investigation, my husband and I discovered that she had been doing this ever since she became employed, strategically choosing areas of the body that would not leave any visible marks. Moreover, she would lock our son in the bathroom with no lights on, and verbally insult him. Our other household help, it seemed, were terrified of her as well.
After firing her, I sent out a very detailed account of my experience via email. I struggled with myself for weeks before doing this, but eventually I figured that if I could help warn others about this potential threat to their children, it would be worth it. As the email circulated, the first interesting thing happened: it reached the daughter of the Filipino-Chinese tycoon (whose child Gemma supposedly “raised”, and where she was considered a “part of the family” for years) and she told me that Gemma had in fact only worked for her for six months. She was fired on the spot because she got caught physically maltreating the child. Complaints were lodged at the agency, and in fact they confirmed that Gemma’s next employer likewise fired her for child abuse.
After some time, I was horrified to learn that yet another employer (who apparently did not receive my email) had sent a similar mass warning (via email and facebook) about Gemma. With permission, here is her exact message:
Hi Doris,
My name is Carol Jorge. We are victims of GEMMA, THE YAYA FROM HELL! Attached is my warning to all mommys which i wrote just this afternoon and started to send out now. Just minutes ago, one of my friends forwarded an email that you had circulated a long time ago. I am shocked to see the same face!!!! Too bad your email never reached me. I feel for you and your child. I hope he is not traumatized as my sons are now.
Is it ok to ask you for your cel number? or you may call me at 0917-XXXXXXX.
Thanks,
Carol
From: Carol Jorge <carol_jorge@xxx.xxx>
Date: January 8, 2009 12:48:49 PM GMT+08:00
To: All Contacts
Subject: IMG_3957.JPG
WARNING TO ALL MOMMYS!!!
I just want you to beware of a yaya (picture attached), who goes by the name of GEMMA MACARAIG, 42 years old. We fired her because she hurt my 5-yr old son, Ronin, and left bruises on his body.
But there's more. Let me also warn you that she presents herself as one who provides helpers but will also say that she will allow herself to be hired temporarily. Little did we know that this was her Modus Operandi. Since she is running somthing like an agency illegally (no business license, no taxes, nor rent), the only way she could get recruits is to either get hired temporarily (example 1 week) or send sombody into any household for the main purpose of recruiting helpers. In that 1 week that she worked for us, she had already sought to recruit all our houshold help, as well as my parent's and in-laws' and bruised our son's ribs in the process.
So beware and please pass this message to your friends and relatives.
Carol Jorge
This had gone too far. By coincidence, this lady was a friend of both my sisters-in-law, so we got in touch with each other soon thereafter. With renewed enthusiasm, I found out the following details:
· Gemma now moonlights as a self-styled “placement agency”. Her modus operandi is to “pirate” all her fellow employees in whichever household she finds herself in, promising them a higher salary.
· She got into this scheme immediately after working for me. She actually had flyers made advertising her services, much to the consternation of her then-employer. This family, after growing tired of Gemma’s sideline and suspecting her activity as a prelude to criminal intentions, one day found that Gemma had disappeared without a trace.
· Even when she was employed by me, Gemma has a confirmed habit of making her fellow helpers (specifically those who came before her) fight one another by sowing intrigue. This is in the hope of the employer eventually firing the warring parties, leaving Gemma the last person standing. She then recommends replacements, whom she now understandably has “power” over. Very, very devious operation indeed.
· If and when she gets caught red-handed, she will say that the child hit her first.
Joined by a growing number of concerned parents, I would therefore like to repeat my warning: please, PLEASE be wary of hiring this woman. We are taking the necessary legal steps in order to stop her cycle of abuse, but we are worried that she might just “charm” her way into another household and end up physically maltreating yet another innocent child. For reference, I am again including a recent picture of GEMMA MACARAIG LALANTACON.
GEMMA/GIE MACARAIG LALANTACON - Photo taken in Baguio (December 2008) provided by Carol...also a mother, whose son was victimized by this Yaya from Hell.
Gemma Macaraig Lalantacon - Yaya from Hell
I have pondered for almost 3 months whether I should do this. At first, I was prepared to let this awful experience just slide. However, as new information about how my son was maltreated unexpectedly comes in, I can no longer endure the thought of another kid being under her “care”.
So here it is: her name is Gemma Macaraig Lalantacon (Gemma/Gie). She is a 42-year-old widow (her husband was a soldier who died in battle somewhere in Mindanao) from General Santos City. She has 3 grown-up children: 2 sons (one of whom we helped with his employment at a local food chain, care of my husband) and a daughter who is in Gen San (still in high school). According to her, she had been working as a Yaya for more than 10 years, including a stint as a domestic helper in Singapore and rearing the granddaughter of a Chinese tycoon (who owns food, airline, retail, and media businesses in the Philippines). Sounds impressive, right?
She started working with us last October 2007, and due to her “excellent” service, we actually adjusted her salary several times. By the time we fired her last August 2008, her salary was 25% higher than when she started (in less than a year!). Moreover, we allowed her to take a weekly half-day-off - this arrangement was agreed upon at the onset of her employment - a specific request because she had to do the laundry of her two boys every weekend. Predictably, made occasional salary advances as well for various reasons, including tuition for her daughter, rental problems with her landlord etc.
Instead of being a “heaven-sent” yaya, we learned by chance (and painfully so) during our Boracay trip that she is actually a “yaya from hell”. I caught her hurting our son when she thought I was not around. After that incident, I put her under close watch and discovered a lot. These horror stories, as confirmed by several people, are as follows:
- She repeatedly pulls our sons hair (strategically on top of the head so that the redness will not be visible)
- “Pinipitik nya ang noo ng bata kapag ayaw matulog” according to my other yaya. “Sinabihan ko na huwag nyang gagawin yon dahil baka mag-pasa pero sabi nya, hindi daw nagpa-pasa basta pitikin sa noo”. (Specifically the area between the eyebrows – she calls this “piso” due to the circular shape her fingers form, similar to the “okay” sign)
- She locks our son in isolation inside the bathroom / dressing room and does not relent no matter how hard he cries
- She yells at our son, yanks his arms and shoulders to “discipline” him
- She teaches my younger daughter (who is only 1.5 years old) how to fight/ hit back at her older brother
Aside from maltreating my son, I found out that she also repeatedly filched small grocery items from us (powdered detergent, 3-in-1 coffee, etc.). Apparently, she was able to do this freely because she took weekly half-day-offs. She complained a lot about hotel rooms (whenever we went out of town) and the food being served to her. She is very talkative – a trait we actually found irritating at first, but eventually learned to accept because we thought it was good for our son.
I am attaching the photos of Gemma / Gie for your information. Please, please beware of this person because one of her talents is deceiving her employers about her sincerity and qualifications. If you are her current employer, I would suggest that you fire her immediately. Please pass this message so that we can help in our own little way to prevent the maltreatment of innocent kids.
So here it is: her name is Gemma Macaraig Lalantacon (Gemma/Gie). She is a 42-year-old widow (her husband was a soldier who died in battle somewhere in Mindanao) from General Santos City. She has 3 grown-up children: 2 sons (one of whom we helped with his employment at a local food chain, care of my husband) and a daughter who is in Gen San (still in high school). According to her, she had been working as a Yaya for more than 10 years, including a stint as a domestic helper in Singapore and rearing the granddaughter of a Chinese tycoon (who owns food, airline, retail, and media businesses in the Philippines). Sounds impressive, right?
She started working with us last October 2007, and due to her “excellent” service, we actually adjusted her salary several times. By the time we fired her last August 2008, her salary was 25% higher than when she started (in less than a year!). Moreover, we allowed her to take a weekly half-day-off - this arrangement was agreed upon at the onset of her employment - a specific request because she had to do the laundry of her two boys every weekend. Predictably, made occasional salary advances as well for various reasons, including tuition for her daughter, rental problems with her landlord etc.
Instead of being a “heaven-sent” yaya, we learned by chance (and painfully so) during our Boracay trip that she is actually a “yaya from hell”. I caught her hurting our son when she thought I was not around. After that incident, I put her under close watch and discovered a lot. These horror stories, as confirmed by several people, are as follows:
- She repeatedly pulls our sons hair (strategically on top of the head so that the redness will not be visible)
- “Pinipitik nya ang noo ng bata kapag ayaw matulog” according to my other yaya. “Sinabihan ko na huwag nyang gagawin yon dahil baka mag-pasa pero sabi nya, hindi daw nagpa-pasa basta pitikin sa noo”. (Specifically the area between the eyebrows – she calls this “piso” due to the circular shape her fingers form, similar to the “okay” sign)
- She locks our son in isolation inside the bathroom / dressing room and does not relent no matter how hard he cries
- She yells at our son, yanks his arms and shoulders to “discipline” him
- She teaches my younger daughter (who is only 1.5 years old) how to fight/ hit back at her older brother
Aside from maltreating my son, I found out that she also repeatedly filched small grocery items from us (powdered detergent, 3-in-1 coffee, etc.). Apparently, she was able to do this freely because she took weekly half-day-offs. She complained a lot about hotel rooms (whenever we went out of town) and the food being served to her. She is very talkative – a trait we actually found irritating at first, but eventually learned to accept because we thought it was good for our son.
I am attaching the photos of Gemma / Gie for your information. Please, please beware of this person because one of her talents is deceiving her employers about her sincerity and qualifications. If you are her current employer, I would suggest that you fire her immediately. Please pass this message so that we can help in our own little way to prevent the maltreatment of innocent kids.
(Photos taken during our Boracay Trip in Aug 2008)
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