Minimum pay to go up for Pinoy maids in Singapore

MANILA - According to the Singapore-based The Straits Times, the minimum salary for Filipino domestic helpers will be increased to S$570 starting May 1 to keep pace with exchange rate fluctuations.

One Singaporean dollar (S$1.00) is equivalent to around P35.90 in today's exchange rate.

The minimum salary for domestic workers in Singapore is currently at S$559.

The Philippine Embassy's Overseas Labor Office (POLO) wrote to accredited employers about the pay hike last week, according to the Straits Times.

The increase is unlikely to affect the hiring of Filipino helpers as employers prefer their skills although the extra checks by POLO may be tedious, Singapore's Association of Employment Agencies president K. Jayaprema told Strait Times.

POLO also said it will conduct random checks to ensure that household helpers are paid properly.

The office said there have been reports that up to 8 months worth of salary were deducted from the paychecks of some Filipino domestic helpers to cover placement fees, which is an illegal practice in Singapore.

Singapore has about 70,000 Filipino helpers.