The updated minimum wage for Filipino domestic workers has formally begun implementation in Malaysia, with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) announcing the first full compliance under the new policy raising monthly pay to US$500.
The increase, mandated through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Memorandum Circular 03 series of 2025, marks a key step in the Philippine government’s Enhanced Reform Program aimed at securing better welfare and fair compensation for household service workers abroad.
During the initial consultation meeting on the circular’s rollout, MWO Kuala Lumpur confirmed that Agensi Pekerjaan CCS Sdn Bhd became the first recruitment agency in Malaysia to adhere to the upgraded wage requirement. The MWO recognized the agency’s compliance during a gathering of 45 recruitment owners and directors, as well as representatives from the FRA associations PIKAP, PAPPA, and PUSMA.
Labor Attaché II and MWO Head Jocelyn Buizon Ortega presented the acknowledgment to the agency’s directors, Tey Ting Wan and Sara Lim Boay. She thanked the firm for “their unwavering support and commitment to the MWO in Malaysia,” emphasizing that formal compliance is a crucial milestone for uplifting Filipino domestic workers in the country.
MWO Malaysia and the DMW reiterated their joint commitment to enforcing new labor standards, tightening compliance, and strengthening collaboration with Malaysian stakeholders to protect the rights of Filipino household workers.
The DMW earlier provided employers a six-month adjustment period before a performance audit. With Malaysia’s early adoption, officials say the rollout signals momentum in pushing higher wages and better working conditions for Filipinos in the global domestic work sector.
