Minimum wage for ‘kasambahay’ in Central Visayas set at P3,000 a month

By Charles R. Pepito, Businessmirror, May 24, 2017

THE minimum wage of kasambahay, or domestic helpers, in Central Visayas is now P3,000 per month.

Wage Order ROVII-DW 01, which took effect on April 13, set the new monthly minimum-wage rate for kasambahay working in the cities and all first-class municipalities in the region.

Domestic workers rendering household services in other municipalities should be given P2,500 minimum wage per month.

Under Republic Act 10361, otherwise known as an Act Instituting Policies for the Protection and Welfare of Domestic Workers or Batas Kasambahay, the previous minimum wage rates of domestic helpers were set at P2,000 for those working in the cities and first-class municipalities and P1,500 for domestic workers based in other municipalities.

The increase, Regional Director Elias Cayanong of the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) said, shall apply to all domestic workers whether on a live-in or live-out arrangement covering those whose functions involve general house help; yaya; cook, gardener, laundry person and any person who regularly performs domestic work in one household on an occupational basis.

Cayanong, who also sits as the chairman of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-7), said not covered by the provisions of the Wage Order are the service providers, family drivers, children under foster-family arrangement and any other person who performs domestic work occasionally or separately and not on an occupational basis.

“In the case of hiring or contracting domestic workers through licensed private employment agencies [PEAs], the wage rates prescribed in the Order shall be borne by the principals or clients of the PEAs and the contract shall be deemed amended accordingly,” he said.

In the event that the principal or client fails to pay the prescribed wage rates, he said, the PEAs shall be jointly and severally liable with the principal or client. PEA refers to any individual, partnership, corporation or entity licensed by the DOLE to engage in the recruitment and placement of kasambahay for local employment.

Complaints for noncompliance with the provisions of the wage order should be filed before the DOLE’s regional, field, or provincial offices and the same would go through the 30-day mandatory conciliation proceedings under the Department’s Single Entry Approach program.

The RTWPB-7 had conducted three wage consultations and two public hearings in order to determine the propriety of issuing a new wage order for domestic workers in the region.