A Gold Coast mum has revealed the jaw-dropping reality of her new life in Manila after ditching Australia for a lifestyle she says has made her a better wife, mother and business owner.
But while Leanne Brant says having two live-in helpers and a private driver has “changed our lives”, not everyone is convinced – with furious critics accusing the family of profiting from cheap labour.
Ms Brant, who moved to the Philippines with her family about 12 weeks ago, has been documenting the relocation in a series of social media videos, opening up about the lifestyle shift, the emotional trade-offs and the surprising costs that have come with it.
The Aussie businesswoman, who is also half Filipino, said the move was largely driven by the family’s desire to grow their business while creating a more manageable day-to-day life.
For years, she said, she had been trying to do it all – balancing work, raising children and carrying what many working mothers know as the relentless mental load of keeping a household running.
Gold Coast mum Leanne Brant says relocating her family to Manila has completely transformed her life. Source: @leannebrant.gsn/ Instagram
That all changed when the family relocated to Manila.
“Since we arrived, we have two live-in helpers and a dedicated driver. And it has changed our lives,” she said.
“For the first time in years I have time back with my family. The house runs. The girls are supported. The washing is done. I’m not exhausted from managing everything before I even get to what actually matters.
“I’m a better wife. I’m a better mother. I’m a better business owner. Because I finally have the space to be present.”
She said the difference was not just practical, but deeply personal, allowing the family to sit down together each night and actually enjoy quality time without the chaos of endless chores hanging over them.
She and her husband now have more time to spend with their kids. Source: @leannebrant.gsn/ Instagram
Ms Brant also argued many Australians don’t realise how inaccessible this kind of support is at home compared with countries like the Philippines, where domestic help is far more common.
“So many people in the Philippines dream of living in the West. What they don’t see is that having live-in help in the West is an absolute luxury,” she said.
“It’s not something everyday families can access. It’s just not the normal way of living. Here, it’s built into everyday life.”
She said she was conscious of the fact the people working in these roles were supporting their own families too, and insisted she approached that responsibility with gratitude and respect.
“Behind every helper and driver we work with is a Filipino person supporting their own family. Working hard so their kids can go to school, so their parents can get medical care, so their siblings have a future,” she said.
“I don’t take that lightly and I never will. I treat our helpers with so much respect and gratitude. I see them as part of our family now.”
However, Leanne admits that receiving her August power bill had left her shocked. Source: @leannebrant.gsn/ Instagram
But while Ms Brant has spoken glowingly about many aspects of life in Manila, there has been one major downside: the power bill.
In another video, she said she was left stunned after opening her August electricity account and seeing a charge of more than 65,000 pesos – the equivalent of just over $1500.
“I swear I had to pick my mouth up off the ground,” she said.
“That’s not even my bill in Australia for a quarter.”
She said the family’s home in Manila was not dramatically larger than the one they had in Australia, making the figure even harder to believe.
“A lot of people may not actually know this, but the Philippines has the highest residential electricity rates in all of South-East Asia, even topping Singapore,” she said.
Despite embracing the move, Ms Brant admitted there are parts of Australian life she badly misses.
Both her family and her husband Brett’s family are based on the Gold Coast, and she said being away from them had been one of the hardest adjustments.
The family enjoying some quality time in the pool. Source: @leannebrant.gsn/ Instagram
The family is also still new to Manila and in the early stages of building a social network.
She said she missed her old morning routine most – the early starts, gym sessions with friends, beach walks at Burleigh and coffee afterwards – as well as the ease of doing errands quickly and independently.
“Life here is a much slower pace,” she said.
Still, she said one thing had stood out immediately.
“What I do love about the Philippines is how kind everyone has been.”
Her videos have since attracted strong reactions online, with many praising the move and saying the extra support would be life-changing for any family trying to balance work and parenting.
But others were deeply uncomfortable with the arrangement, with some commenters accusing the family of taking advantage of low wages and cheap labour.
One person wrote: “Just please understand that minimum wage is not an actually liveable wage. If you are paying them minimum wage, and have them more than five days a week, then they are basically slaves.”
Leanne Brant and husband Brett run a business together. Source: @leannebrant.gsn/ Instagram
Another commented: “Your ‘helper’ is away from their family making your life easier for your family. I hope you are paying the helpers extra, not just a Filipino wage, to compensate the time away from their family.”
Others, however, came to Ms Brant’s defence, arguing the extra support had made a similar difference in their own lives.
One supporter wrote: “I am 100 per cent a better husband and father since we moved to the Philippines.
“We’ve been here for almost a year now, and yes, I understand that having a nanny or house helper isn’t as common back in the West. But having the extra help has given us so much more freedom, and, most importantly, more quality time together as a family.”