ILOILO City – Employers across Western Visayas will be required to pay their domestic workers a minimum monthly salary of P7,000 once a new wage order takes effect.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has warned that noncompliance could trigger complaints and intervention.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) has approved Wage Order No. RBVI-DW-08, granting domestic workers, or kasambahay, a P500 monthly increase from the existing P6,500 minimum wage.
DOLE-6 regional director Sixto Rodriguez Jr., who chairs the wage board, said the order was issued alongside a separate wage adjustment for private-sector workers following simultaneous consultations.
Both wage orders are awaiting approval from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) before publication in a newspaper of general circulation, a requirement preceding their implementation.
Rodriguez stressed that all employers of domestic workers must comply with the new minimum wage once it becomes effective.
He acknowledged, however, that monitoring compliance in private households remains a challenge because domestic workers are not covered by DOLE’s routine workplace inspections.
Unlike commercial establishments, private residences cannot simply be entered by labor inspectors to determine whether household workers are receiving the mandated wages.
Instead, DOLE-6 relies on employer awareness and complaints from domestic workers to identify possible violations.
“Should there will be complaints, we immediately call the attention ng employers and we remind them of their obligation,” Rodriguez said.
He noted that wage-related complaints from domestic workers have been relatively rare, with most employers generally complying with existing wage regulations.
Nevertheless, Rodriguez encouraged kasambahays who are paid below the prescribed minimum to report violations directly to DOLE or seek assistance from barangay officials, who can help refer their concerns to the labor department.
To ensure transparency, he emphasized the importance of written employment contracts reflecting the prescribed wages and encouraged employers to issue monthly payslips showing how salaries are computed.
Such documents would provide domestic workers with records of their compensation and help establish possible violations.
Rodriguez maintained that employers have little justification for refusing the additional P500 monthly adjustment, pointing out that the region’s minimum wage for domestic workers remains relatively low.
Apart from the mandated salary, employers must also comply with statutory benefits under Republic Act No. 10361, or the Domestic Workers Act, commonly known as the Batas Kasambahay.
The law requires employers to provide Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and Pag-IBIG Fund coverage for qualified domestic workers who have rendered at least one month of service, subject to applicable contribution rules.
Rodriguez clarified that monitoring compliance with these social protection benefits falls under the respective government agencies administering them./PN
