The move of the Department of Migrant Workers to upskill or upgrade former Household Service Workers to caregivers was welcomed by migration expert Emmanuel Geslani who said that these move will fulfill the current massive demand for caregivers in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Under the latest memo circular 2.5, series of 2005 recently issued by the DMW the agency is also studying the implementation of higher minimum wage rates for upskilled workers, including former domestic workers who trained to become caregivers.
These countries have expressed their desire to get Filipino caregivers for their elderly and PWD citizens our Filipino caregivers are renowned for their warm care and loyalty to their principals
In Taiwan there is a current demand for 180,000 caretakers\caregivers while in Hong Kong needs 60,000 caregivers likewise in Singapore 40,000 caregivers are needed for the aging population of these three countries.
The low birth rate in those countries has acerbated the need for caregivers as more senior citizens reached the age of 60 thus these countries may be able to fill up the huge demand.
Currently there is a pool 200,000 of former domestic workers who are eligible for training for caregiver work in those countries.
Caregivers are paid $ 750 US dollars in Taiwan and almost the same amount for Singapore and Hong Kong which will be good for our former domestic workers whose minimum pay was $ 400 USD and very recently approved by the DMW the minimum pay to $ 500 USD.
However the recruitment industry will have to negotiate with their foreign principals the additional pay for the HSWs especially in the Middle East where there is a majority of HSWs working there close to One Million (1,000,000.00) in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.
HSWs comprised 50% of the yearly deployment of the DMW Two million OFWs around 500 thousand HSWs new and re-hires deployed including seafarers more than Five Hundred Thousand (500,000).
DMW Sec Hans Leo Cacdac and DOH sec Ted Herbosa
