P6,000 minimum pay eyed for HSWs

by Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star), 18 Dec 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is pushing for a P6,000 minimum monthly pay for household service workers (HSWs) nationwide.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said he has asked the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) to look into the possibility of setting a P6,000 minimum monthly pay for HSWs.

“I am not contented with the adjustment (in wages), so I told the NWPC kung pwedeng gawin P6,000 ang minimum pay nationwide sa lahat ng kasambahay,” Bello said in a virtual briefing yesterday.

“I think it’s a reasonable amount. Those who can’t afford should rather not hire a helper. They should do the cleaning and washing themselves,” Bello added.

He said, however, that the possibility of fixing the monthly wage of HSWs nationwide to P6,000 is just a proposal.

The current minimum wage of P3,000 in several regions in the country is insufficient to enable HSWs to provide for the needs of their family, Bello said.

He expressed confidence that increasing the wages of HSWs would not deter employers’ compliance with payment of minimum wage.

Based on a study done by the NWPC, most employers are compliant with the prescribed minimum wages for HSWs per region.

Bello said increasing the minimum pay of HSWs does not need passage or legislation.

The NWPC and the different wage boards nationwide, he said, regularly review the possible adjustment of minimum wages of HSWs.