Cordillera domestic workers to get wage hike

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  —  Domestic workers in the Cordilleras will get a salary increase effective today.

Augusto Aquillo, Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board secretary-general, said Wage Order 03 pegged the salary of domestic workers in cities and first class municipalities at P4,000 and P3,000 in other areas. 

“The Cordillera Administrative Region is the first region...to come out with a new wage order for domestic workers this year,” Aquillo said. 

A previous wage order set the minimum monthly salary of domestic workers in cities and highly urbanized cities in the region at P3,000 and P2,500 in other towns. 

Aquillo said the new wage order shall apply to all domestic workers whether in a live-in or live-out arrangement, but not limited to general household helpers, nannies, cooks, gardeners, laundry persons or any person who regularly performs domestic work in a household in an occupational basis.

Family drivers, children under foster family arrangement and those who perform domestic work occasionally are not covered by the wage hike.

The wage order mandates payment of salaries of domestic workers in cash at least once a month. No deduction shall be made other than those provided under the law, it added.

Aquillo said no petition for exemption would be entertained.  

He said complaints for non-compliance with the wage order should be filed with the Department of Labor and Employment regional and provincial offices. 

Violators face fine ranging from P10,000 to P40,000 without prejudice to the filing of civil or criminal action by the aggrieved party pursuant to existing laws, rules and regulations.