Abstract
Recent public health literature is paying increasing attention to the social determinants of health. Such research focuses on environments and political structures that negatively affect health outcomes of certain groups or communities. In September 2023, more than 25,000 Filipino caretakers and home-maids work under Taiwanese households. Many of them are diagnosed with cancer during their employment in Taiwan. To understand possible reasons behind cancer incidence amongst Filipino migrant domestic workers in Taiwan, this thesis explores cultural, political, and socioeconomic factors that may lead to risk-taking behaviors and poor health outcomes. It incorporates qualitative methods, including a robust literature review and in-depth interviews, to reflect Filipino domestic workers’ experience with work, life, and health in the Philippines and in Taiwan. It is concluded that Filipino domestic workers’ cancer incidence in Taiwan may be a product of lack of public assistance in the Philippines, the guest-worker paradigm of the Taiwanese foreign labor policy, and employers’ attitudes towards migrant domestic workers’ health. This thesis serves as a humble invitation for future research from all disciplines to explore the intersection of Filipino labor migration, domestic work in Taiwan, and cancer incidence.