AFTER nearly two decades, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has finally raised the minimum wage requirement for Filipino household service workers (HSWs) deployed abroad.
In Advisory No. 25-2025, the DMW announced that the minimum monthly wage for domestic workers will increase from US$400 to US$500.
"The department shall implement an increase in the minimum monthly wage for Filipino domestic workers from US$400 to at least US$500," said the DMW.
"The increase shall be integrated into all employment contracts processed by the DMW," it added.
The department said the increase seeks to ensure "just remuneration" and uphold the right of every domestic worker to fair wages.
"The new wage floor reflects the recognition of domestic work as work of equal value deserving of fair compensation," said the DMW.
The US$400 minimum wage for HSWs was set under the 2006 HSW Policy Reform Package of the former Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
More recently, the Coalition of Landbased Agencies for Domestic and Skilled Workers Inc. (CLADS) raised the possibility of increasing the minimum salary for domestic workers.
Reforms
Aside from raising the minimum wage for domestic workers, the department also introduced reforms to further uphold their rights, dignity, and welfare.
The DMW said domestic workers will be entitled to free annual medical checkups and hospitalization or treatment.
It will also implement the mandatory “Know Your Employer” (KYE) protocol to ensure transparency and informed consent between domestic workers and employers through required video conferencing before contract finalization.
The department will likewise roll out the “Kumusta Kabayan?” Digital Welfare Monitoring System to directly check on the conditions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Domestic workers will also be provided with reskilling, upskilling, and career mobility programs to continuously enhance their employability and opportunities.
The DMW is likewise imposing stricter standards on recruitment agency accommodation facilities.
It will also implement a whitelisting policy for recruitment agencies that demonstrate compliance and ethical practices in the deployment of workers.
The DMW added it will sustain a rights-based approach by providing legal and other forms of assistance to domestic workers.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said local and foreign recruitment agencies, as well as foreign employers, are expected to adhere to the Advisory.
"The advisory shall apply to all recruitment agencies and employers here or abroad with newly hired domestic workers under employment contracts entered into, or with vacationing or returning domestic workers under contracts renewed,” Cacdac said. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)