MANILA – Close to 50,000 Filipinos aged 18 and below are working as domestic workers (kasambahay) based on a survey of the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
“We noticed that there are some, we call, child domestic workers. Some 50,000 are aged 18 and below. (Of the number), 44,000 are 15-18 years old and less than 5,000 are 15 years old,” NWPC deputy executive director Pat Hornilla said in a virtual forum Thursday.
The survey was done in October 2019 and the result was only released by the NWPC last month.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) reminded the public particularly employers that hiring of minors aged 14 and below is punishable by law.
“It has been declared unlawful and is deemed as one of the worst forms of child labor,” BWSC director Karen Trayvilla said.
She added that aside from an administrative fine of PHP40,000, employers can also be held liable for violation of Republic Act 9231 which penalizes child labor.
Trayvilla added that Filipino domestic workers aged 15-17 years old are only allowed to work for eight hours.
“The kasambahay aged 15 to 17 years old, they are only allowed to work for eight hours, in no case they will be allowed to work from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., otherwise this is considered child labor,” she said.
The NWPC and BWSC are attached agencies of the DOLE.