By Leslie Ann Aquino
Acting Philippine Labor Attaché to Hong Kong Antonio Villafuerte has announced that the new minimum allowable wage (MAW) for domestic workers in Hong Kong is HK$4,630.
FILE PHOTO: A general view of Victoria Harbour and downtown skyline is seen from the Peak in Hong Kong, China. (REUTERS / Bobby Yip / MANILA BULLETIN)
Villafuerte announced this on the Facebook page of POLO-Hong Kong, stating that this will be applicable to all contracts signed on or after September 28, 2019, the day the new MAW took effect.
He said that for food allowance, it would not be less than HK$1,121 per month.
He said contracts with the existing MAW and food allowance will still be processed by the POLO provided “they are signed on or before September 27 and submitted on or before October 10 (Agency Submission) or October 15 (Individual Submission).”
“This arrangement will provide sufficient time for this Office to process the contract before October 25, which is the deadline set by the Immigration Department for accepting contracts with old MAW,” said Villafuerte.
Prior to the increase, the MAW in Hong Kong was at HK$4,520 while the food allowance was HK$1,075.
Hong Kong is one of the top destinations for Filipino household service workers.