Salaries for Helpers

[JJReyes]

One topic of conversation with friends and relatives is the increased cost for helpers.  The goal for many helpers is to "go abroad" because of the higher pay and adventure.  To retain them, many families are closely matching what they can earn overseas -- offering salaries around P20,000.  Gone are the days when they would agree to P6,000 a month plus food and lodging.  

Also gone are the days of huge houses with yayas, housekeepers, cooks, kitchen assistants, houseboys, gardeners, drivers, etc.  Among our age group, they have been selling their village homes and moving to condominiums.  The reason is the newer condominiums are equipped with all the modern appliances so you don't need helpers.  For general cleaning, there are companies offering a team of workers that will do and complete the task within 4 or 5 hours.  

Of course, the situation remains same for the extremely wealthy.  Driving through Dasmarinas Village and Forbes Park, we saw maids walking well groomed dogs.  Apparently, each dog has one maid assigned to take care of their every need.  (I am sure it's the same in the United States and the United Kingdom, but we never drive through the filthy rich areas.) 

[scott h]

5 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Gone are the days when they would agree to P6,000

Don't know who your talking to JJ, we pay our maid 5k a month, live out. She gets fed naturally. We have another who comes in when needed and on the regular lady's day off. Her daily pay would add up to 5k per month. Now this extended family has worked for our extended family for 2 generations now so might be different. Neither are young women but in their 30's with families so might not fit the age group you are defining.

[hk blues]

7 minutes ago, scott h said:

 She gets fed naturally. 

That's a relief!  

[Jack Peterson]

6 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Gone are the days when they would agree to P6,000 a month plus food and lodging.  

 Sorry JJ have to Disagree on this, we pay  p5000 live in. 20,000 is just not realistic 

[Mick]

Yup we pay 5000 live in as well 

[JJReyes]

17 minutes ago, scott h said:

Don't know who your talking to JJ, we pay our maid 5k a month, live out. She gets fed naturally. We have another who comes in when needed and on the regular lady's day off. Her daily pay would add up to 5k per month. Now this extended family has worked for our extended family for 2 generations now so might be different. Neither are young women but in their 30's with families so might not fit the age group you are defining.

 

15 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

Sorry JJ have to Disagree on this, we pay  p5000 live in. 20,000 is just not realistic 

 

3 minutes ago, Mick said:

Yup we pay 5000 live in as well 

The person who mentioned this to me resides in Metro Manila at Magallanes Village.  It is probably a different situation for other areas where work opportunities are less abundant.  There is also the issue of retention.  I am told that many have pending applications to work as maids in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.  As soon as the paperwork is approved, they are off, oftentimes failing to give any notice.  You hear about their departure from the other helpers.  My former classmates pays a high salary to make sure there is someone at home.  Fear is returning home to an empty, abandoned house.  They also have a flat in London and New York for business reasons.  The couple are often away.

You are lucky getting them for P5,000 per month.  That's just under $100.  Do you also provide SSS, medical care, uniforms and the 13th month pay? 

During our days in the Philippines, in addition to a good salary, we gave everyone a sack of rice every calendar quarter.  It was one way to retain them. Sometimes, generosity doesn't work.  My wife wanted to provide additional education for a girl who was taking care of one of our kids.  My aunts had warned us against it.  Shortly thereafter she met a boy in her vocational school, they got married, and immediately had a child.  

 

[OnMyWay]

51 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

The person who mentioned this to me resides in Metro Manila at Magallanes Village.  It is probably a different situation for other areas where work opportunities are less abundant. 

JJR is talking about a completely different class of employer and employee than most of us are used to.  It is not really apples to apples.  People who can afford homes there would have much higher requirements and would not be hiring just anybody from the province.

Here is a list of homes for sale in that village:

Other available properties in Magallanes Village:
1.    Lot Area 390 square meters, house and lot, 39 million - L
2.    Lot Area 350 square meters, house and lot, 42 million – L
3.    Lot Area 367 square meters, house and lot, 42 million - L
4.    Lot Area 350 square meters, house and lot, 42 million
5.    Lot Area 393 square meters, house and lot, 45 million - L
6.    Lot Area 362 square meters, house and lot, 44 million
7.    Lot Area 385 square meters, house and lot, 46.2 million
8.    Lot Area 363 square meters, house and lot with swimming pool, 47 million - L
9.    Lot Area 350 square meters, house and lot, 48 million
10.    Lot Area 473 square meters, house for teardown, 50 million
11.    Lot Area 492 square meters, house for teardown, 50 million
12.    Lot Area 368 square meters, house and lot, 50 million
13.    Lot Area 336 square meters, house and lot, 50 million
14.    Lot Area 348 square meters, house and lot, 50 million NET
15.    Lot Area 438 square meters, house and lot, 53 million
16.    Lot Area 336 square meters, house and lot, 55 million
17.    Lot Area 420 square meters, house and lot, 55 million
18.    Lot Area 426 square meters, house and lot, 57 million
19.    Lot Area 487 square meters, house and lot, 63 million
20.    Lot Area 353 square meters, designer house, 65 million
21.    Lot Area 660 square meters, house and lot, 66 million 
22.    Lot Area 600 square meters, vacant lot, 67.2 million 
23.    Lot Area 670 square meters, house and lot, 70 million
24.    Lot Area 600 square meters, house and lot, 72 million 
25.    Lot Area 720 square meters, house and lot, 72 million 
26.    Lot Area 760 square meters, vacant lot, 72.2 million 
27.    Lot Area 508 square meters, house and lot, 75 million
28.    Lot Area 637 square meters, house and lot, 75 million 
29.    Lot Area 683 square meters, house and lot, 85 million 
30.    Lot Area 717 square meters, house and lot with swimming pool, 90 million 
31.    Lot Area 695 square meters, house and lot with swimming pool, 85 million + VAT
32.    Lot Area 632 square meters, house and lot, 94.8 million 
33.    Lot Area 608 square meters, house and lot with swimming pool, 105 million 
34.    Lot Area 1,000 square meters, house and lot with swimming pool, 120 million 

[OnMyWay]

Adding on a bit more, we have high helper salaries here in the freeport and they have been going up, but not to the levels mentioned by JJR.

Our next door neighbor, a wealthy American, has gone through several "provincial" type maids in the last few years.  Yesterday, his latest told my wife that she gets 8000.   Not sure if it is true and not sure if benefits are paid.  She wants to recommend her daughter, age 33, to work for us.

Our wealthy Filipino family across the street gives their "outside" maid over 11,000, which is the highest I have heard of in this area.  By "outside" I mean she takes care of the outside of the house (actually two duplexes attached) and the garden, which she loves doing.  And about 5 dogs too. Their inside maid is one we were going to hire when the previous owner put the 1/2 duplex up for sale, but then this family bought that half of the duplex and talked her into staying.  We were going to give her 6000 and they gave her 7000 to stay on.

[Jollygoodfellow]

And about a year ago, Househelp to get P3,500 monthly pay by December

 https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/406612

[Arizona Kid]

My gf's mom is our housekeeper. She gets 6,000 per month..live out. She lives with a mechanic who makes good money. She gets to our house about 5am and normally leaves between 11am and noon. Sun. is her day off. I'm the one that wants her to work half day cuz I like my privacy. It's worked out pretty good for us over the last ten or more years and she gets her 6k bonus after I get my tax return.