$400 wage for maids non-negotiable: Manila

Joey Aguilar/Staff ReporterThe $400 minimum salary requirement for Filipina housemaids is non-negotiable, the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) in the Philippines has said in a statement.Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the policy was implemented in 2006 as part of the “HSW (Household Service Worker) Reform Package” which aims to further protect Filipina housemaids.“The salary was computed on the basis of the nature of domestic work, the number of work hours, the fact that their skills as HSWs are properly certified and the conditions of employment which make them vulnerable to abuse,” she said.Baldoz added that the $400 minimum monthly salary requirement has been implemented in all countries of destinations for Filipino HSWs. While other applicants may be willing to take the $250 to $275 minimum wage, DOLE said they will not process “any employment contract of any HSW indicating a salary below the $400 minimum required.”Citing the report of the Philippine embassy in Doha, the Labour secretary stressed that Qatar has not stopped issuing visas for Filipina housemaids. “Again, we need to reiterate that the State of Qatar has not banned the hiring of Filipino HSWs.” Baldoz also noted that “the slow-down in the deployment of HSWs in Qatar is not the result of any government action/decision.” “Rather, it is the decision of Qatari employers to stop hiring Filipino HSWs as they find the required minimum wage of $400 per month too burdensome,” she said. However, earlier reports said that Qatar’s Passports and Immigration Department suspended issuing visas to Filipina housemaids after the Philippine government imposed the monthly $400 minimum salary requirement. Asked about the consequences of the “ban”, Baldoz made an assurance that the non-deployment of Filipino HSWs to Qatar during the past months will not affect the Philippine economy.DOLE disclosed that the number of Filipino HSWs sent to this country from January-October 2012 only represents “1% of the total landbase workers (as against seafarers) that were deployed overseas (same period).”  In the same statement, DOLE also noted that HSWs are given options to work in other countries which comply with the minimum monthly salary requirement.Embassy officials made similar statements saying that Qatar is a free market and it can choose workers from other countries.“There is nothing new about it. Qatar is a free market and they can choose whoever maids they intend to hire,” said Charge d’Affaires and vice-consul Gilbert Segarra.The envoy was reiterating earlier statements made by Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Crescente R. Relacion who was quoted as saying that as a free market, “nobody is forcing anyone to keep Filipina maids. The (people) have the choice.”He said the salary imposition is being implemented even in other GCC countries. Saudi Arabia , which stopped the hiring of Filipina housemaids due to the said wage hike, has recently lifted the ban and agreed to stick to the $400 minimum wage requirement adopting a “Standard Employment Contract” for HSWs .About 200,000 Filipinos are now working in Qatar. Out of this , about 45,000 are housemaids.Meanwhile, Labour Attache in Doha e1mbassy Leopoldo De Jesus said his department has started receiving “requests to process new contracts for Filipino HSWs, reflecting the $400 salary”.Housemaid finds second home with Qatari familyWorking for five years in Qatar, Filipino housemaid Norma Balendo found a second home here with a kind and considerate Qatari family. “Masaya ako sa mga amo ok dahil mababait sila at sumusweldo ako sa oras (I’m happy with my boss because they are kind and I receive my salary on time),” says the 46-year old native of Leyte, Philippines.Aside from her salary,  Norma enjoys free meals, accommodation and sometimes, her employer would give her extra money to buy prepaid cellphone cards.From Qatari Riyals (QAR) 750 in 2007, she now receives a monthly salary of (QAR) 1,000. As a mother of two children and nine siblings, she hopes to have a salary increase. However, the hardworking housemaid stressed that she finds contentment and thankful with what she receives.“Kung bibigyan nila ako ng umento, maganda yun. Pero masaya at kontento narin nako sa suweldo ko. (If they will give me an increase then that would be good, but I’m really happy and contented with my salary),” she said . Norma’s family stays in Novaliches, Quezon City.Norma says she can eat whatever is served to every member of the family with no limits.  “There’s no problem with the food, but I also control myself from eating too much because I don’t want to get bigger”, she quips.Aside from family, she also sends money to her mother, brothers and sisters in Leyte and in Novaliches who are in need especially those who are sick.She was allowed to have a three-month vacation in the Philippines in 2010. She could extend her vacation for one more month or even more, but decided to return early to her family here because “I need to work again and earn money.”Norma is just one of the 45,000 housemaids working in this country. Some of them work for other nationalities like Lebanese, Americans, Europeans and Palestinians but majority are hired by Qataris.She says the family she works for also allows her to go to the malls and meet friends. “Walang problema sa kanila basta nagpapaalam ka lang (There is no problem with them as long as you ask for permission)”.Asked why most Qataris prefer to hire Filipino as housemaids, she says “because we are hardworking, have good personal hygiene (clean), caring and attentive.”“Sana bawat Pinay na housemaid na katulad ko ay magkaroon ng amo na katulad ng mga amo ko ngayon (I hope that every Filipina housemaid like me could have an employer like mine.”