OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) are set to immediately benefit from the wage hikes implemented by the governments of Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
In a statement, DMW Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they welcome the new wage orders issued by Taiwan and Hong Kong as it will be a boon for OFWs there.
“Enacting wage legislation recognizes the work of our OFWs and their contribution to the economic development of their host countries,” said Cacdac.
“Thousands of overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan and Hongkong stand to benefit from new wage orders,” he added.
In Hong Kong, the DMW said household service workers (HSWs) will get a HK$140 pay increase, or from HK$4,730 (P36,917.65) to HK$4,870 (P38,010.35).
The Hong Kong wage order also provides for an adjustment in the allowable food allowance for HSWs from HK$1,196 (P9,334.78) to HK$1,236 (P9,649.98).
The DMW said the wage increase in Hong Kong shall be applicable to HSW contracts signed on or after September 30, 2023.
The Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong (MWO-HK) data shows that, as of August 2023, there are 196,364 OFWs working as HSWs in Hong Kong.
By January 2024, the MWO-HK estimated that there will be around 205,000 Filipino HSWs working in Hong Kong.
In Taiwan, the DMW said the new wage order mandates a 4.05 percent increase in the monthly minimum salary from NT$26,400 (P46,378.70) to NT$27,470 (P48,223.43).
The department said the wage order also increases the minimum hourly wage by NT$17 or from NT$168 (P295.14) to NT$183 (P321.48).
OFWs in Taiwan are set to feel the increase once the wage order takes effect on January 1, 2024.
The Ministry of Labor in Taiwan reported that there is an estimated 151,562 Filipinos working in Taiwan, as of October 2023.
The DMW projects that another 17,721 workers are likely to be hired in Taiwan by the end of the year. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)
