BAGUIO CITY – The city’s Public Employment Services Office (PESO) is calling on all residents to register their domestic workers with the said office to ensure the proper monitoring of their compliance to the provisions of the Kasambahay Law.
Based on the data obtained from the PESO, there are some 180 domestic workers that are registered in the city but local officials believe the number of domestic workers employed by residents is far higher than the number registered at the PESO.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said that the registry of domestic workers available at the PESO will serve as one of the bases in the formulation of programs, projects and activities of the local government catering to domestic workers, thus, it is best for employers to register their domestic workers to provide sufficient basis in crafting the mandatory programs that will improve their welfare pursuant to existing laws, rules and regulations.
Earlier, the Cordillera office of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-CAR) approved a new wage order that pegged the monthly minimum wage for domestic workers in cities and first-class municipalities at P4,000, while domestic workers in other municipalities in the region will be receiving a monthly minimum pay of P3,000.
Domogan pointed out that the domestic workers play a key role in ensuring the welfare of their employers thus it is worthy for concerned government agencies and local governments to formulate appropriate programs, projects and activities to advance their status aside from fixing their minimum wage.
The PESO intends to have the accurate data on the number of domestic workers in the city so that the office could monitor the compliance of their employers to the other benefits that are supposed to be provided for them.
The RTWPB-CAR official reported the wage order shall apply to all domestic workers, whether or in a live-in or live-out arrangement, such as, but not limited to general household worker, yaya, cook, gardener, laundry person, or any person who regularly perform as domestic work in one household in an occupational basis.
However, those who are not covered by the wage order are service providers; family drivers; children under foster family arrangement, and any other person who perform work occasionally or sporadically and not on occupational basis.
The wage order provided that the wages of the domestic workers shall be paid in cash at least once a month and no deductions from the wages of the domestic workers shall be made other than that which is mandated by law.
In the case of hiring or contracting of domestic work services through a licensed private employment agency, Aquillo pointed out that the wage rates that have been fixed under the order shall be borne by the principals or clients of the agencies and that the contract shall be deemed amended accordingly.
In the event that principals or clients fail to pay the prescribed wage rates, the agencies shall be jointly and severally liable with his principal or client. By Dexter A. See