By Marita Moaje
MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will benefit from wage increases as it welcomed the decision of Hong Kong and Taiwan to raise their monthly salaries.
In a news release on Thursday, the DMW said the decisions of Hong Kong and Taiwan marked another win for OFWs who continue to contribute to their host countries while supporting their families back in the Philippines.
The DMW lauded Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor for approving another wage hike for foreign workers starting Jan. 1, 2026.
The new rates will raise the monthly minimum wage to 29,500 New Taiwan dollars, or approximately USD967 (around PHP56,000), and the hourly rate to 196 New Taiwan dollars (around PHP374).
“Recently, Hong Kong raised by 2 percent the salaries of domestic workers. We’re thankful to Hong Kong,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, meanwhile, said in an interview on Wednesday.
He said the approved wage increase would bring the minimum wage of a domestic worker in the Chinese special administrative region from 4,849 Hong Kong dollars to 5,100 Hong Kong dollars (around PHP36,253 to PHP38,130).
“Lubos tayong nagpapasalamat sa pamahalaan ng Taiwan at sa mga labor organizations sa kanilang pagsisikap para maipatupad ang wage hike na ito. Isang tagumpay para sa lahat ng mga manggagawa sa Taiwan, lalo na para sa ating mga OFW ang balita na ito. Titiyakin din ng DMW na ganap na mapapakinabangan ito ng ating mga OFW (We are very grateful to the Taiwanese government and labor organizations for their efforts to implement this wage hike. This news is a victory for all workers in Taiwan, especially for our OFWs. DMW will also ensure that our OFWs fully benefit from this),” Cacdac said.
The DMW stressed that this increase, if finally approved by Taiwan’s Executive Yuan, would greatly help thousands of OFWs working in various industries in Taiwan, and would be the 10th consecutive year of wage increases in the country.
“We’ll make an effort to continue to incentivize first and foremost employers who will grant the USD500 increase,” Cacdac said.
Cacdac said the DMW would also strive to provide more opportunities for Filipino domestic workers who are considered one of the most vulnerable sectors.
The DMW in August announced enhanced reforms that aim to improve the safety, welfare, and career development of OFWs, particularly household workers.
Among the reforms cited by the DMW was the implementation of an annual medical check-up, a mandatory “know your employer” video call before deployment to ensure transparency and informed consent, a digital monitoring system dubbed “Kamusta Kabayan” (How Are You, Countryman) would also be conducted by designated welfare case officers via emails or calls, piloting in Kuwait and Israel, to allow the Philippine government to check and evaluate the welfare of OFWs, and the implementation of a monthly wage increase from USD400 to USD500.
Cacdac said the reforms, a result of six months of consultations, will be integrated into employment contracts and enforced by the agency.
However, he emphasized that the wage floor may be increased depending on the host country and the worker’s skills.
“We will continue to incentivize and provide more opportunities for our domestic workers who deserve so much. They work so hard and they need the necessary compensation to keep their families alive, to keep their families, their minor children alive and educated,” Cacdac said., noting that these efforts are in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to promote the rights and welfare of OFWs through fair wages and stronger protection abroad. (PNA)
