DMW: Thousands of OFWs in Taiwan, Hong Kong to benefit from wage hike

The DMW projects another 17,721 workers in this category to be hired by the end of the year. (File Photo: Department of Migrant Workers/Facebook)

MANILA – Thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in Taiwan and Hong Kong are expected to benefit from the new wage hike which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

“We thank Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Labor Department respectively for enacting wage legislation that recognizes the work of our OFWs and their contribution to the economic development of their host countries,” Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a news release Wednesday.

Cacdac said the new wage order issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor (MOL) mandates a 4.05 percent increase in the monthly minimum salary of factory workers from NT$ (New Taiwan Dollar) 26,400 or equivalent to PHP46,378.70, to NT$27,470 or PHP48,223.43.

The same wage order also increases the minimum hourly wage by NT$7, or from NT$176 equivalent to about PHP312.80, to NT$183 or PHP321.48.

Data from the MOL shows that as of October, about 151,562 Filipinos are working in Taiwan, with 123,768 working in the manufacturing sector.

The DMW projects another 17,721 workers in this category to be hired by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, a similar wage legislation approved by the Hong Kong Labor Department will also benefit OFWs working as foreign domestic helpers (FDH) or household service workers (HSWs).

The Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong (MWO-HK) reported that as of August this year, there are 196,364 OFWs working as HSWs or FDHs in the Chinese special administrative region and some 40,000 HSWs representing new hires and those with renewed contracts.

Additionally, an estimated 205,000 Filipino HSWs in Hong Kong are expected by January 2024.

Under the new wage measure, OFWs working as FDHs will receive a minimum allowable wage of (Hong Kong Dollar) HK$4,870 or PHP38,010.35, which is equivalent to a HK$140 increase from the previous rate of HK$4,730 or PHP36,917.65.

The same wage order also raised the allowable food allowance for FDHs to HK$1,236 or PHP9,649.98 from the previous rate of HK$1,196 or PHP9,334.78.

The wage increase in Hong Kong shall apply only to FDH contracts signed on or after Sept. 30 this year.