The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has confirmed that the minimum wage for household helpers will increase to Php5,000 starting January under Wage Order No. NCR-DW-02.
In an interview with DZMM radio, DOLE-NCR regional director Sarah Buena Mirasol said that the order takes effect on January 2, 2020 or 15 days after its publication last December 18, 2020, and employers are mandated to follow the wage increase. “Kung kailan effective iyong ating wage order, kailangan mag-adjust na rin ang employers, regardless kung magkano ang kanilang kinikita. Walang exception sa ating wage order,” she told DZMM.
Kasambahay benefits and social contributions
Under the Kasambahay Law, employers must register their kasambahays as members of SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG. They are also required to shoulder premium payments or contributions.
But if the household helper is receiving a wage of Php5,000 and above per month, they shall pay their appropriate share. With the wage increase, Metro Manila helpers can now contribute for premium payments with their employers.
The amount of contribution will vary depending on the helper’s exact wage. But if they are earning Php5,000, here’s how much they need to shell out for their premium payments.
This table shows how much employers and kasambahay need to pay for member contributions in SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG.ILLUSTRATOR Cyrille CalderonADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWFor SSS, kasambahays will need to pay Php200, while their employer pays Php400. Their contribution will amount to Php600 monthly.
For PhilHealth, contributions will be at Php300 monthly, after the agency increased its members’ contributions to help fund the Universal Health Care Act of 2019. Employers need to take the full share of contributions if the helper’s salary is Php5,000 and below. For kasambahays whose salary is Php5,001 and up, they would be required to share half of the total contribution.
For Pag-IBIG Fund, employers are expected to shoulder 2% of the membership savings of the Kasambahay, while the helper shoulders the other 2%. To compute the amount, multiply the monthly basic salary (Php5,000) by 0.02. This is equal to Php100 each for employer and kasambahay. Total contribution monthly is Php200.
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According to Director Mirasol, employers may also shoulder the full share of premiums without deducting it from their kasambahay’s salaries. However, it is the employer’s responsibility to deposit the social contributions to the respective agencies.
Should employers violate the new wage order or fail to give helpers their benefits, the kasambahay may file a complaint with DOLE. They may call DOLE's 24/7 hotline by dialing 1349.
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