Ople: Hong Kong wage hike benefits Pinoy domestic workers

The salary increase for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, equivalent to P750 in the Philippine peso, would be beneficial for the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong will now earn HK$4,730 or P35,475, after the Hong Kong government announced on September 30 that it would raise the minimum allowable wage and food allowance for foreign domestic workers.

“The increase in pay comes after a two-year wage freeze in HK due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time of rising prices due to a stronger US dollar, this new minimum wage hike is a boon to our kasambahays in HK,” Ople said.

According to the DMW, the wage hike, which took effect on October 1, was HK$100 more than the previous HK$4,630 or P34,725 set in September 2019.

On the other hand, the new minimum food allowance of HK$1,196 or P8,970 was HK$23 more than the previous HK$1,173 or P8,797. DMW said that this food allowance is given only to domestic workers who live outside their employer’s residence.

The agency also said that this development elicited positive reactions from the Filipino community working in Hong Kong.

Citing data from the Hong Kong Immigration Department, the DMW said there are 188,171 OFWs in Hong Kong as of end August 2022. This accounted for more than half of the city’s estimated 333,000 migrant domestic worker labor force, it added. — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA News