Huge Increase in Minimum Wage for House Helps in Metro Manila Passed

It will be a merry Christmas indeed for household nannies, cooks, gardeners, and laundry workers in Metro Manila. The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) formally granted a pay hike for Metro Manila domestic workers amounting to P1,500 per month, according to a report by the Inquirer.

With the new order, household workers or kasambahays will now earn a minimum wage of P5,000, effective after 15 days from Friday, December 20, according to the Wage Order No. NCR-DW-02. Before the issuance of order, the monthly minimum wage of kasambahays was P3,500.

According to the RTWPB, it found it necessary to increase the minimum wage of domestic workers in Metro Manila after reviewing the socioeconomic conditions of populations in Metro Manila. ““The board agreed to provide for wage adjustments for domestic workers with immediate relief measures to manage the rising cost of living,” it added, as reported by the Inquirer.

Exempted from the order are family drivers, service providers (such as plumbers, electricians, etc.), and minors under foster family arrangements. Also exempted are domestic workers who only work on per-day basis or occasionally.