THE minimum monthly wage of domestic workers residing or working in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) will increase by P500 starting January 2026.
The Bangsamoro Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (BTWPB), under the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE), approved Minimum Wage Order No. BARMM-DW-02 on Dec. 17, raising the minimum monthly wage of domestic workers to P5,500 from P5,000.
MOLE Minister Muslimin Sema, who also chairs the BTWPB, said the new wage order covers individuals engaged in household-related services such as general household help, cooking, cleaning, laundry, babysitting or caregiving, gardening, and other similar tasks.
Excluded from the wage order, Sema said, are family drivers, children under foster family arrangements, service providers, and individuals who perform work occasionally and not on an occupational basis.
“The ministry ensures that fair compensation goes hand in hand with safe and humane working conditions, including regular rest days, nutritious food, decent sleeping quarters, and the protection of the rights and welfare of domestic workers,” Sema said in a statement on Monday, Dec. 22.
He added that the wage increase forms part of the ministry’s commitment to promoting just wages, humane labor conditions, and social justice for all workers.
“Employers must fully comply with this wage adjustment and uphold respect and dignity for kasambahay in every household,” Sema said.
Sema said the wage adjustment was based on inputs from both labor and management sectors during public consultations, supported by data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA), and the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism (MTIT).
He added that the wage order will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Bangsamoro Gazette or in a newspaper of regional circulation. (SunStar Zamboanga)