Pinoy maids in Singapore get $50 salary raise —report

Filipino domestic helpers in Singapore are set to receive a SGD$50 increase in their monthly salary starting January, the Straits Times reported Thursday.
Minimum wage for Filipino domestic helpers in Singapore was originally set by the Philippine government at $400.
Singaporean agencies agreed to increase the wages to SGD$500 following an agreement between the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS) and the Philippine Embassy three years ago.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz told GMA News Online through a text message that the increase to SGD$550 brought wages of Filipino maids closer to the Philippine minimum wage of $400.
 
"I think (SGD$550) is almost equal to $400. If that is so, the Singapore market will be compliant for Filipino DH minimum salary," Baldoz said.
 
"There is no minimum wage for domestic helpers. It is our Philippine minimum wage of $400 that we follow," she added.
 
The agreement was reached to avoid exchange rate fluctuations, the report said.
AEAS president K. Jayaprema told The Straits Times that the increase in salary — the first for Filipino maids in three years — was "a natural progression" over time and was partly influenced by the stronger US dollar.
Jayaprema noted that some caregivers were already being paid above SGD$600 for having better qualifications.
An earlier report by The Straits Times quoted Philippine Labor Attache Vicente Cabe as saying that a new cap has been placed on the number of Filipino maids coming to Singapore.
"The plan is to bring down the total number of Filipino domestic workers in Singapore by about 20 per cent in the next two years," Cabe said.
Estimates by the Philippine Embassy state that 70,000 of 227,100 domestic helpers in Singapore are Filipinos. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UP Diliman Professors Share Scientists’ Procurement Struggles at Senate Hearing

By Harvey Sapigao Senate hearing of the revised procurement law (Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines) College of Science (CS) Dean Giovanni Tapang held up a little white device as he finished his presentation. “This is a ₱150,000 component,” he described. “Isa lang gumagawa nito sa buong mundo, pero ang hirap pilitin sila na magregister sa PhilGEPS,” he continued, referring to the requirement that foreign companies must first register to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) before they can sell products to local scientists. Marine Science Institute (MSI) Deputy Director Dr. Irene Rodriguez explained that the small device is a resin that filters metals in water. “May budget tayo,” she said, “pero ang problema ko ay ‘yung resin na ito.” This and other bottlenecks brought about by the procurement law, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), slow down research and development in the country. UPD leaders were invited to the Senate he
Read more

How war is putting Middle East aviation at risk ---AL JAZEERA

The human suffering in Gaza is accompanied by losses that are undermining this vital industry With more than 40 years' experience in aviation, including a stint as chief executive Bahrain's Gulf Air and sitting on the International Air Transport Association's Board of Governors, Royal Jordanian’s CEO Samer Majali is someone who knows the industry in the Middle East – and its challenges – like few others. In an exclusive interview with The National yesterday, he spoke for many executives when he described how six months of violence in Israel and Palestine had hurt his airline and the region’s economy. While the human cost is, of course, the biggest, and Palestinian society is bearing the brunt of this war, its consequences are far reaching. The plummeting bookings, operational difficulties and financial losses being experienced by the aviation sector are being exacerbated by a widespread perception that the Middle East is in turmoil. “They lump the region as a homogeneous
Read more

Azerbaijan looks to enhance ties with Kuwait --- By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kuwait Emil Karimov stated that the strong and historical ties between Kuwait and Azerbaijan pave the way for further strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors. During an iftar held by the embassy for local media, the ambassador said “With a focus on tourism, food, and education, both countries are poised to enhance collaboration and mutual exchange of expertise.” He noted that 30,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited Azerbaijan during the past year. Regarding the trade between the two countries, the ambassador said that the volume of trade exchange for the year 2023 reached $665,000 and Azerbaijan is keen to increase trade exchange with Kuwait. He said the Kuwaiti side has expressed an interest in importing food products from Azerbaijan, signaling a desire to diversify its sources of agricultural goods and strengthen economic ties to enhance trade relations. To deepen cultural understanding and foster people-to-people connections between the t
Read more