RTWPB-12 yet to announce salary hike for 'kasambahay'

KORONADAL CITY - The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today said itcannot yet implement increase in the salaries of domestic helpers in the region as mandated by RA 10361.This was revealed by a ranking officer of RTWPB 12 in an interview with DXOM FM Koronadal Tuesday.Jessie Dela Cruz, RTWPB 12 Secretary, said RTWPB is still closely coordinating with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to know the numbers of registered househelp in the region. In the barangay registration, we still have an incomplete list of Kasambahay,” especially in the provinces of South Cotabato and North Cotabato,we don’t have a reliable number yet” Dela Cruz said.Registration of household help is mandated by Republic Act 10361 or an Act Instituting Polices for the Protection and Welfare of Domestic Helpers.Under the law, domestic helpers in the National Capitol Region (NCR) must receive P2,500, P2,000 for chartered cities and municipalities and P1,500 for those employed in other municipalities.The Labor Department also wants to get the list of domestic helpers that had undergone skills enhancement training from the Technology Education Development Authority (TESDA) for them to have concrete basis for salary increase. We have what we call additional compensatory rate, to those who have certificates from TESDA,” Dela Cruz said.Domestic Worker or Kasambahay” refers to any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship such us but not limited to the followingand general househelp, nursemaid or yaya”, cook, gardener, or laundry person, but shall exclude any person who performs domestic work only occasionally or sporadically and not on occupational basis.