Writing the Chapters of Her Life: Janelyn Dupingay on Migration, Poetry, and Creating Space
Janelyn Dupingay once saw migration as a story about everything she had lost. In hopes of bringing a better life for her family, she left the Philippines to work as a domestic helper in Singapore in 2015. Being separated from her loved ones, especially her five-year-old daughter, was incredibly difficult.
Mourning the distance, she wrote about the pain of leaving home, the countless birthdays missed, the goodbyes she couldn’t say, and the times that she couldn’t be there at home.
But, somewhere along the way, she no longer wanted that pain to define her journey, much less who she was as a person. She didn’t want her daughter to remember her migration only through the sadness of the moments missed. And, she refused to call the life she has built through sacrifice a tragedy.
“Despite my absence, at least I am providing the comfort that I know I will not be able to provide when I am there in the Philippines,” Janelyn reflected. Rather than giving in to the emotional burden of separation, she instead found meaning in her own experiences with migration.
I first met Janelyn recently at a Youth Action Festival organised by Project Integrate, a student-led volunteering group engaged in migrant worker advocacy. She was invited as a keynote speaker and shared about her journey in Singapore with gusto and conviction.
Photo: Janelyn Dupingay sharing her the ups and downs of her journey in Singapore.
Easily, I was swept away by the depth of experiences that Janelyn carried with her. In a country where migrant workers are perceived primarily through their economic value, Janelyn has shown that the place that they bring to society is more than just the labour they provide.
While working as a domestic helper, she went on to publish her first-ever poetry collection. And now, she’s a leader at the Migrant Writers of Singapore (MWS) and at Uplifters, stepping up to empower migrant workers who once faced the same struggles as she did.
Finding the language of her heart
Photo: “Still, You’re A Human” by Janelyn Dupingay.
Writing allowed for Janelyn to reconcile with the whirlwind of emotions that came from being far away from home and is now what she uses to comfort those in similar predicaments.
Like many other migrant domestic workers, her days were once shaped by the demands of someone else’s household. After four years of working in Singapore, however, she lost her father. “The guilt within me really was killing, because before he passed away, he kept asking me to go home just to visit,” she shared.
Crushed beneath the weight of emotions that were difficult to express, Janelyn eventually found an outlet that captured her sorrow. Poetry became her solace, and in a bid to converse with her father, she wrote him a poem titled “Death Without Goodbye.”
That became one of her first forays into poetry, as in the very same year, she joined MWS. As a platform for all migrants to engage with literature and the arts, MWS regularly organises literary workshops and activities for participants.
Since joining, Janelyn has attended almost every session and steadily polished the way she wrote and communicated. The organisation also offered her ample opportunities to grow and develop, be it through poetry recitals or coordinating events.
In 2022, she published “Language of My Heart”, a poetry collection that spoke of her emotions and experiences as well as her trials and tribulations. While some of her writings stemmed from the loneliness and exhaustion she faced as a migrant domestic worker, her book was ultimately still marked by assurance and hope.
“Most of my poems are about encouragement, seeing the positive side of life, and taking our migration journey as something that’s positive rather than negative,” she said.
When space is given
Actually, Janelyn never really had any plans to publish her own work. She was content with just publishing her poems online and submitting them to anthologies. Rather, it was the people around her who continuously gave her the encouragement and opportunities to build her confidence and find her voice.
Photo: Janelyn Dupingay’s employers showing their support for her first ever poetry recital.
It all began when her friends kept asking when she was going to publish her poems. Then, they expressed their willingness to help with her publishing journey, with one of them even offering to illustrate her book cover.
At first, Janelyn hesitated. Unsure of whether her poems truly deserved such a space, she asked, “Do you really think I can?” And her friends simply replied, “Of course.”
From then on, Janelyn started to work on her newfound dream. Bit by bit, the poems she wrote came together as a manuscript, but the cost of publishing stood in the way.
A turning point came when her employer offered to cover the publishing costs. Janelyn still remembered that both of them were sitting in a car when her employer told her, “If you really want to do it, if you want to publish it, then just take this amount as my birthday gift for you. Just publish it. And you don't know, you will inspire more of your community.”
Beyond the label
Thanks to the support of those around her, Janelyn found the courage to take the leap and the means to achieve her dreams. Currently, she sees herself not only as a domestic helper or a writer but also as an advocate for fellow migrant workers.
“I want [Singaporeans] to know that there’s no labelling. We are also human. We have emotions. We have passions. We carry dreams just like them,” she shared. As a migrant domestic worker herself, she knows how it feels to be defined by a label and how limiting that can be. Having flourished from the space given to her, she now strives to create spaces where all migrants can express themselves freely.
Photo: Janelyn Dupingay speaking at the Literary Walk organised by the Migrant Writers of Singapore.
As the Core Coordinator of MWS, Janelyn regularly organises and facilitates creative workshops, poetry readings, and artistic exhibitions. She has also been with Uplifters for over five years, where she mentors other migrant domestic workers on financial literacy and helps them to grow their confidence.
In 2024, she brought her learnings back home and organised a poetry-writing workshop for youths in the Philippines, passing on the same space that was once given to her. “It feels good to have the capability to bless other people when you are receiving some blessings for yourself,” she said.
Migration and identity
There are many lenses through which migration can be understood, but rarely does society approach it with optimism. Narratives about migrant workers are often framed through hardship and tragedy, overshadowing the creative aspirations and possibilities that also shape their experiences.
However, instead of conforming to the labels imposed on her as a migrant domestic worker, Janelyn has decided to take charge of the chapters of her life in Singapore. With the space she was given by the community around her, she found her voice as a writer and her passion as an advocate.
Having to balance day-to-day responsibilities as a domestic helper certainly isn’t easy, but Janelyn has no intention of giving up. In spite of the challenges faced, she still finds meaning in the work that she does.
“It’s just natural for me to love the things that I do. The key there is I just love my life, you know, despite everything,” she shared.
Looking ahead, Janelyn hopes for more migrant workers to be involved in the arts and literature, and for more of their literary works to be recognised by the Singaporean public. Above all, she hopes people will look beyond labels and recognise migrant workers as individuals with emotions, passions, and dreams of their own.
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About the Author
Heng Rui En is an aspiring journalist. As a Public Policy and Journalism Studies student, she finds meaning in bringing overlooked perspectives to the forefront and sparking conversations that matter. Through working with Picture Perfect Project, she hopes to shed light on stories that deserve to be heard and use writing as a medium to amplify these voices.
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