Hiring a Helper in Manila as an Expat: Pay, Contract, and Legal Rules

TL;DR: A helper in Manila is hired under the same Philippine rules as any household. Sign a written contract before day one, pay at least your region's wage order (₱7,800 a month in Metro Manila), register her at the barangay and with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG, give her a payslip every payday, and pay 13th month by 24 December. Helpers offers two ways to hire: Connect, where you message helpers directly, and Concierge Placement, where we shortlist and vet for you.

Expats often arrive with a picture of "the maid" from another country. In the Philippines the legal term is kasambahay, and the rules come from Republic Act 10361. This guide covers the household rules. It does not cover visas, immigration status or tax. Those need a separate adviser.

Name the job before you search

Write the actual week down first. Each role has a different price and a different risk.

• All-around helper: cleaning, cooking, laundry and errands. Use the domestic helper job description guide to write the duties into the contract.
• Yaya: childcare, sometimes a newborn. Start with hiring your first yaya and the newborn yaya checklist.
• Family driver: a different job under a different wage rule. Price it separately with the family driver salary guide.

Live-in or stay-out

A live-in helper sleeps in your home. A stay-out helper goes home at night. The wage floor is the same for both.

Live-in adds duties. You must provide three adequate meals a day and a humane sleeping space. Her rest has to be real rest, not time she happens to spend in the house. The rest day and leave guide explains the eight-hour daily rest, and the job description guide sets out what a stay-out helper still needs, including a place to rest and a toilet she can use.

Pay: the legal floor in Metro Manila

Wage Order No. NCR-DW-06 sets the Metro Manila kasambahay minimum at ₱7,800 a month, effective 7 February 2026. Outside NCR, the rate comes from the regional board, and the figures differ. The 2026 minimum wage guide lists every region, and the NWPC summary as of 9 July 2026 is the source behind it.

The floor is not the going rate. Use the salary calculator to price the whole month, including contributions and the 13th month set-aside.

Your duties as the employer

Two rules are easy to get wrong. Never hold her passport, birth certificate or other originals as security. Photocopy them and hand them back. And never charge her a deposit for household items, which the law does not allow.

Finding and vetting someone

There are three routes: people you already know, a licensed private employment agency, or messaging helpers yourself. If you use an agency, ask for its DOLE licence and check it with the DOLE regional office for the agency's address. The employer can be jointly liable for wages with the agency, so the licence matters.

Whichever route you take, do the same checks. Ask for the clearances the role needs, and no more. Call two references and ask about the end of the last job. Pay for a trial day, because a candidate who works a real shift is working. The how we vet helpers guide explains what identity and reference checks can and cannot show.

Two ways to hire on Helpers

• Connect, $49.99 a month. Browse helper profiles for free and message helpers directly. You run the interviews and the paperwork. Connect is billed in US dollars. Neither plan takes a cut of her salary.
• Concierge Placement, a one-time fee. We shortlist candidates against your brief, vet and reference-check them, and schedule the interviews. Shortlist is ₱4,999, Recommend is ₱9,999 and Full Placement is ₱27,999. The pricing page sets out what each tier includes.

Choose Connect if you want to interview widely yourself. Choose Concierge if you would rather not run the search from abroad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a written contract for a helper in Manila?

Yes. Section 11 of Republic Act 10361 requires the contract to be signed before the service starts, in a language both of you understand. DOLE publishes the model contract, Form BK-1, in Filipino. The kasambahay contract template is an English version of the same clauses.

What is the minimum pay for a kasambahay in Metro Manila in 2026?

₱7,800 a month under Wage Order No. NCR-DW-06, in force since 7 February 2026. The floor applies to live-in and stay-out helpers alike. Other regions have their own rates, which are lower in most provinces. Check the 2026 minimum wage guide for your region.

Does the kasambahay minimum wage apply to a family driver?

No. The wage order excludes family drivers, service providers and anyone who works occasionally rather than as an occupation. A family driver is still an employee with rights, so price the role separately with the family driver salary guide.

Can I deduct the cost of meals and a room from a live-in helper's pay?

No. Food and sleeping space are the employer's obligations under the law. They are not a discount on the wage. Deductions beyond those the law mandates need her written consent.

Do I have to pay a helper extra on Philippine public holidays?

RA 10361 does not give a kasambahay holiday pay. Any extra pay or a day off for a holiday is something you agree in the contract. The rest day and leave guide shows how to write it down.

Set up the hire before the first day

Work out the monthly cost, write the duty list and the rest day, then start the search. When the numbers work, browse helpers on Helpers or compare the Connect and Concierge options. Put 13th month pay in the calendar now. The 13th month pay calculator gives you the figure in November.