The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will mandate a new minimum monthly wage of $500 for Filipino domestic helpers, an increase of $100 from the previous rate, the agency announced recently.

In a statement, the DMW disclosed that the new regulation applies to new employment contracts, while those already working overseas will receive the raise upon contract renewal.

The DMW — which has regulatory authority over migrant worker affairs — will screen contracts to ensure the new wage is included.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the department will use its complaint system to enforce the regulation and can sanction non-compliant employers. The $400 wage for domestic workers had been in place since 2006.

Cacdac cited that the Philippines sets the minimum wage for domestic workers because many countries don’t have one and stressed that the $500 rate is a floor and wages can be higher.

This wage hike, which followed a six-month consultation with stakeholders, is part of an eight-point reform agenda outlined in the DMW’s Labor Advisory No. 25. Recruitment agencies have 60 days to comply.

Cacdac said most host countries have agreed to the new wage, but talks with others are ongoing and revealed that he plans to meet with officials in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in the coming months.

Among other reforms in the eight-point agenda are voluntary annual medical check-ups and hospitalization for domestic workers, a mandatory video conference with employers, and the rollout of a digital welfare monitoring system called “Kumusta Kabayan?”