Private household staff of Pinoy diplomats get more protection, higher wage under new labor pact

Private household service staff of Filipino diplomats assigned abroad will receive better protection and higher wages under a new government labor agreement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the DFA and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Cooperation in the Deployment of Private Staff signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III would now require these workers to secure permit from both agencies before they are sent abroad.

Under the Joint Guidelines of the MOU, private staff must be paid the minimum wage of the country of destination, or in its absence, US$600 per month. This represents a 50% increase from the previous minimum wage requirement of US$400 per month.

Aside from higher monthly salary with corresponding contributions to SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG, private staff will also have additional benefits such as membership to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, insurance coverage including any medical/hospitalization costs not covered by the insurance, and fifteen (15) days of paid leave per year, among others.

The Joint Guidelines also provide standards of treatment "to ensure that Private Staff work under humane conditions and are protected from any kind of abuse and any form of maltreatment."

In March, President Rodrigo Duterte dismissed from Foreign Service Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Marichu Mauro

Several instances of abuse against the helper were caught on video, which were released on Brazilian TV, prompting the DFA to recall Mauro and conduct an investigation. Mauro decried Duterte's decision and vowed to appeal her case before a local court.

Private staff are members of the household of Foreign Service Personnel and overseas representatives of government agencies who render full-time domestic work under a private employer-employee relationship, the DFA said.

Before the MOU, all private household staff joining Filipino diplomats in their country of assignment only needed DFA approval.

"With the signing of the MOU, they will have to go through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration like other OFWs," a DFA statement said.

To ensure that Private Staff understand their rights and privileges, they are also required to undergo a Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) tailor-made for them by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The seminar will cover modules on their work contract as well as the grievance mechanism and legal rmedies in case of contract violations, the DFA said. —KBK, GMA News