Bicam sets P2,500 kasambahay minimum wage

MANILA, Philippines — The bicameral conference committee has finally decided to fix the monthly minimum wage for household helpers to P2,500, paving the way for its immediate enactment into law, Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estraday yesterday said.

Estrada, who chairs the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources, said this was the outcome of bicameral discussions to resolve conflicting provisions of Senate Bill No. 78 and House Bill No. 6144.

He said the panel agreed to set the basic pay for domestic work to P2,500, thereby increasing those stipulated in the Labor Code.

The minimum wage for domestic workers in Article 143 of the Labor Code is pegged at P800 in Metro Manila and highly urbanized cities, P650 in other chartered cities and first-class municipalities and P550 for other municipalities.

SB 78 sought a P3,000 minimum monthly wage.

The bicameral conference agreed on P2,500 as an affordable and reasonable amount for middle-income families.

The panel moved to adopt a Senate provision on minimum wage for domestic workers which prescribes P2,500 monthly salary for those working in the National Capital Region (NCR), P2,000 for those in chartered cities and first-class municipalities and P1,500 for those in other municipalities.

The last time, the government augmented the minimum wage for household helpers through Republic Act No. 7655 was in 1993.

“The amounts stated in our Labor Code are very much outdated and unrealistic, considering the high cost of living especially in the metropolis. I think it is high time to increase the minimum wage which can be considered decent compensation,” Estrada said.

Apart from an increase in pay, domestic workers will also be entitled to membership in Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG and employers would be the one to shoulder the payment of contribution for social benefits of minimum wage earners.

“It was also agreed upon that Congress shall determine a wage rate wherein both the employees and employers will share in the responsibility of paying contribution to such benefits,” he said.

Both chambers are set to ratify the “Kasambahay Bill” on Monday next week and submit the final and reconciled version to Malacanang for President Aquino’s approval. –HANNAH L. TORREGOZA, Manila Bulletin