Filipino domestic helper breaks down in tears when S'pore employer celebrates her birthday

A family in Singapore decided to celebrate their domestic helper's birthday by bringing her out for a meal at a Filipino restaurant, giving her a taste of home.

The celebration, which was later posted on social media, moved the helper to tears of gratitude.

Speaking to Mothership, Denson shared that the helper, Abegail, has been working for his family since July 2025.

As the main caregiver of his father, who uses a wheelchair, Denson said the family wanted to show appreciation for her hard work.

Birthday celebration

For her birthday, the family decided to bring her to Lola J, a Filipino restaurant located on the East Coast.

In the video uploaded by Denson, Abegail was seen becoming emotional as she tasted the food, saying she felt at home right away.

The moment eventually culminated in her tearing up when she was presented with a birthday cake.

She said none of her employers had done this for her in the past 10 years, Denson shared.

To his surprise, Denson's father also teared up, heightening the emotional moment.

"He is an extremely empathetic person and felt the happiness for the helper. He knows it is not easy to leave their families to work for strangers overseas," Denson shared.

He added that their relationship is very close, with Abegail bringing his father down to the park every day for a stroll and making sure he doesn't fall.

Other ways of appreciation

The family has also shown Abegail appreciation in other ways.

They previously sent a box filled with 70kg worth of essentials, such as clothes and food, last Christmas — something they plan to do every year.

"As she takes care of my family, we would like to take care of hers too," Denson said.

"We really hope that more helpers get the basic respect and kindness they deserve. After the post, more than 100 helpers shared their comments, saying she is lucky. But to us, this is a basic necessity," he added.