"PUWEDE PA KISS?

Once upon a time, a handyman was hired to do some repairs in a unit.

He was well-regarded among brokers—reliable, fairly priced, and known for delivering quality work on time. Because of this, he was frequently recommended for minor repairs.

One day, he was assigned to work on a unit. To oversee the repairs, the broker’s assistant was present.

Without warning, the handyman began making inappropriate comments.

Handyman: "Ma'am, ang sexy mo naman..."

The assistant fell silent, suddenly feeling uneasy.

Handyman: "Puwede pa kiss? Tayo lang naman nandito..." (as he brushed his hand along her arm)

Fear gripped the assistant. Heart pounding, she quickly gathered her things and rushed toward the elevator, tears welling in her eyes. The handyman tried to follow, but just as he neared, the elevator doors opened—allowing her to escape.

End of story.

Hearing this left me stunned. The handyman was decades older than the assistant. What gave him the audacity to act this way? And how many others had he done this to?

Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated case. I’ve also heard stories where it was the tenant harassing the stay-out help. The harsh reality is that these incidents happen more often than we realize.

Lessons:

1.⁠ ⁠Train your team to handle harassment – Conduct briefings on recognizing and responding to inappropriate behavior, including the legal actions that can be taken.

2.⁠ ⁠Establish clear safety protocols – Always have an exit strategy and carry personal safety tools (such as pepper spray).

3.⁠ ⁠Never compromise safety – Trust your instincts and remove yourself from uncomfortable situations IMMEDIATELY.

4.⁠ ⁠Report the incident – Inform the broker, building management, or authorities to prevent similar occurrences and hold perpetrators accountable.

5.⁠ ⁠Work only with vetted professionals – Whenever possible, hire service providers with trusted reputations and good track records to minimize risks.

This is a tough but necessary reality check: safety should never be taken for granted, no matter how routine the task may seem.