COTABATO CITY (December 24) — Thousands of kasambahay across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are set to take home higher pay after the Bangsamoro Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board approved a P500 increase in the monthly minimum wage of domestic workers.
Signed on December 17 at the Bangsamoro Government Center, Minimum Wage Order No. BARMM-DW-02 raises the floor wage from P5,000 to P5,500 a month, covering household workers engaged in cooking, cleaning, laundry, caregiving, babysitting, gardening, and similar services.
For families who rely on domestic work as a primary source of income, the increase offers modest but meaningful relief amid rising living costs. For workers, it is also a signal of recognition.
“Fair pay must go hand in hand with safe and humane working conditions,” said Muslimin Sema, Minister of the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) and chair of the wage board. He stressed that domestic workers are entitled not only to higher wages, but also to rest days, nutritious food, decent sleeping quarters, and respect for their rights and dignity.
MOLE said the wage hike is part of BARMM’s push for social justice and inclusive growth. The adjustment was shaped by consultations with labor and employer groups, backed by data from agencies such as the Philippine Statistics Authority and Bangsamoro planning and trade offices.
Not covered by the order are family drivers, children under foster family arrangements, service providers, and those doing household work on a purely occasional basis.
The new rate takes effect 15 days after publication in the Bangsamoro Gazette or a regional newspaper.
For many kasambahay, the message is clear: their work matters — and BARMM is taking steps to make sure it is valued.
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