Fifty-seven domestic helpers arrived home Tuesday night from Lebanon with nothing to bring for their families but only sad stories to share about the ordeal and trauma that they suffered from their abusive Lebanese employers.

Most of the domestic helpers escaped from their employers and later sought help from the Philippine Embassy in Beirut. They stayed there for nearly five months before being sent home.

Rina Sabiron was forced to run away. She said she was not only physically abused but also molested by her male employer.

“Sexual harrassment po,” she revealed. “Na-trauma po ako, 'di po makakakain.”

Sabiron also related the hardships that her fellow domestic helpers went through in Lebanon. “Yung iba po kulang sa pagkain tapos mga sinusuntok, ganun po.”

“Overworked po. Basta mga masasakit na treatment nila, sinasampal,” recounted Alma Almerez. She said that she was not able to buy gifts for her family.

“Okay lang naman, accepted naman ng pamilya ko. Ang importante buhay ako,” she added.

Rosemarie Bolalin suffered the most traumatic experience. She broke her right leg after jumping off from the second floor of the building where she worked as she attempted to escape one evening.

“Yung amo ko ang tapang sinasaktan po ako kaya naisipan kong tumalon. Yun na lang po ang paraan kasi kinukulong ako eh,” said Bolalin.

Aside from the physical and emotional abuses, most of them were not able to get their full salaries.

Almerez said her employer refused to give her salary for three months.

Another household helper, Maria Dama, also decided to escape from her employer because she was only receiving US$150 instead of the US$400 salary stipulated in her contract.

It was in 2006 when the Philippine government imposed a labor deployment ban to Lebanon due to the country’s unstable security and harsh labor conditions.

But despite the current ban, many overseas Filipino workers still managed to penetrate Lebanon. Many of them admitted to have resorted to illegal means.

“Di ko po alam kasi yung passport ko dito na sa airport binigay tsaka pag-open ko… tourist visa po pala ang nakalagay," said Bolalin.

“Meron pong agency nag-ano sa amin... na ilalakad po kami doon papunta sa Lebanon. Eh kaso kagipitan kaya napilitan na po,” Sabiron added.

They may have suffered much but the domestic helpers said they are not losing hope as they begin a new chapter in their lives. They said they will still seek greener pastures abroad but definitely not in Lebanon.

“Hindi na po kasi ang pangit ng ugali ng Lebanese,” Bolalin commented. With ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda