‘Pinay maids could price themselves out of international market’

Many Filipina domestic helpers abroad might end up jobless instead of getting higher pay because of a new Philippine government policy doubling their minimum monthly salaries.

The Federated Association of Manpower Agencies Inc. (FAME), the country’s largest umbrella organization of overseas recruitment agencies, said the new policy is like banning the deployment of domestic helpers abroad.

FAME president Eduardo Mahiya said raising their minimum monthly salary from $200 to $400 is not the only way to improve the welfare and enhance the dignity of Filipino maids abroad.

"The government should be candid about it, and just implement a ban because the state-imposed salary increase is tantamount to halting the deployment of domestic workers," he said.

Mahiya said the proposed policy to be implemented by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) next month was hastily crafted.

"The Philippines, being a labor supplying country, cannot demand what it wants from foreign employers, much more tell them how much to pay Filipino workers," he said.

"That is a function of a free market, dictated by demand and supply conditions."

The POEA cannot sanction employers who would violate the policy since the government has yet to secure bilateral labor agreements with many of the countries hosting Filipino domestic helpers, he added.

Mahiya said overseas recruitment agencies agree that domestic workers should be trained and paid more, but they oppose the 100 percent salary hike because of its possible bad effect on their deployment.

"We don’t want to get misinterpreted," he said. "Much as we would like our domestic workers to receive more, we could not dictate this to employers because of the prevailing market realities, such as intense competition. Employers will surely look elsewhere for the supply of domestic workers."

The government should instead help the private recruitment agencies in ensuring that domestic helpers get the prevailing monthly pay, Mahiya said. — Mayen Jaymalin