MANILA, Philippines – The Kasambahay Bill is now a law that should be implemented as disclosed by local news on Tuesday, June 4, 2013. Employers now have to provide their household helpers PAG-IBIG memberships and standardized salaries.
The employer has to pay one half of the membership dues of her household help for the PAG-IBIG. Not only that, recommended salaries now ranges from P2,500 for Metro Manila, P2,000 for first-class cities, and P1,500 for other areas.
The Kasambahay Bill was first filed in the senate by Francisco Tatad, a former senator, and was followed through by other senators.
A previous evaluation made by UN in 2010 revealed that Filipina maids were “overworked and underpaid.’ Many tagged them as the unsung heroes of millions of households.
Aside from the PAG-IBIG memberships, employers are also obliged to provide Social Security System (SSS) and PhilHealth to their household helps. The household helps could then avail of housing loans and salary loans.
With the implementation of the Kasambahay Law, millions of household helps are now protected and monitored by the barangays, the household service workers (HSW), and DOLE. They are also now more protected from physical, verbal and any type of abuse.
