Nearly 19,000 kasambahay in Zamboanga Peninsula will receive a P500 to P1,000 monthly pay increase starting May 20. (Image by Pixabay)
Nearly 19,000 domestic workers or kasambahay across the Zamboanga Peninsula are set to receive higher monthly pay beginning May 20, in what labor officials describe as an effort to help household workers cope with rising living costs and widening economic pressures.
The Department of Labor and Employment said Wednesday that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Region 9 approved a new wage order granting salary increases ranging from P500 to P1,000 for “kasambahay,” or domestic workers, including house helpers, caregivers, cooks and laundry workers.
The increase, issued under Wage Order No. RIX-DW-06 on April 16 covers both live-in and live-out domestic workers throughout the region. Under the new wage structure, domestic workers in chartered cities and first-class municipalities in the Zamboanga Peninsula will now receive a minimum monthly salary of P6,000, up from P5,500.
In Sulu’s first-class municipalities, the minimum wage will rise from P5,000 to P6,000 a month — the largest increase under the order. Domestic workers in other municipalities in Sulu will see their minimum pay climb from P5,000 to P5,500.
The wage order will take effect on May 20, or 15 days after its publication, according to Dole.
For many kasambahay, the increase may appear modest against the backdrop of inflation, rising food prices and transportation costs. But labor advocates say even a P500 increase can help cover essentials such as rice, school expenses for children or mobile data needed to stay connected with family members.
Domestic work remains among the country’s most invisible forms of labor, often performed behind closed doors and outside the protections commonly enjoyed by workers in offices, factories and commercial establishments. Many kasambahay work long hours caring for children, elderly family members and households while earning wages that barely keep pace with the cost of living.
The latest adjustment also reflects the growing recognition of domestic workers’ role in sustaining urban and working-class households, especially as more families depend on dual incomes and caregiving support.
The Philippines enacted the Domestic Workers Act, or Batas Kasambahay, in 2013 to formalize protections for household workers, including mandatory minimum wages, social benefits, and written contracts. Enforcement remains uneven, however, particularly in far-flung provinces where many workers remain informally employed.
The new wage rates will benefit nearly 19,000 domestic workers across Region 9, including the Zamboanga Peninsula and nearby island provinces, labor officials said.
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