Illegal domestic helpers in China face stiff penalty, PHL envoy warns Filipinos

By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR, Jul 18, 2017

XIAMEN, China – A Philippine senior diplomat on Monday said foreign domestic helpers are prohibited from working in China, warning that Filipino workers illegally employed as maids will be arrested and deported by Chinese authorities.

Although there is a rising demand for domestic helpers in China, Philippine Consul General Julius Flores said the Chinese labor market for such jobs is not yet open to foreigners.

“While there is a demand, it is not allowed,” Flores told visiting Filipino journalists here. “There are no contracts.”

Flores reminded Filipinos attempting to find jobs in China as domestic helpers that violators, both employers and employees, will have to pay a minimum penalty of RMB5,000 or about P37,450 each in current exchange rate. Foreign workers would also be detained while waiting for their deportation to their home countries.

Despite the restriction, Flores said Filipino household workers are preferred by the Chinese because of their ability to speak English, serving not only as maids but also as tutors to their children.

“That’s their package,” he said.

Filipinos working as household helpers in China are mostly overstaying workers whose contracts and visas have expired. They earn between RMB4,000 or P29,960 to RMB6,000 or P44,940.

The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest exporters of labor, including domestic helpers. Their remittances keep the Philippine economy afloat as they send over $2 billion annually.

Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana earlier said China is exploring the possibility of relaxing its ban on the employment of foreign maids.

“They want to open but not in the same scale as in Hong Kong. They want to hire nannies who can teach their kids English or English-speaking domestics,” he said in an interview in Beijing. Hong Kong is host to nearly 200,000 domestic helpers from the Philippines.

If such jobs become available, Sta. Romana said the Chinese government may initially allow high-income families and expats or Chinese families that fulfill a certain income level to hire foreign maids. — BAP, GMA News