"Looking for Filipino Housekeepers" Attracts 310 Families in Just Ten Days

62% Dual-Income Couples · 63% with Children Under 36 Months
More Than Half Apply for '5 Days a Week'

Within ten days of accepting applications for the 'Philippine Domestic Helper Pilot Project' promoted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to reduce the burden of child-rearing and prevent career interruptions due to parenting, 310 households applied.

On the 27th, Seoul City announced that as of the 26th, 310 households had applied for the 'Philippine Domestic Helper Pilot Project,' which began recruiting on the 17th. The application deadline for this project is the 6th of next month, and since there are still about ten days left, the number of applicant households is expected to increase further.

Seoul City Foreign Domestic Worker Pilot Project Application Status [Image source=Provided by Seoul City, Yonhap News]

The types of applicant households were led by dual-income families with 234 households (62.3%), accounting for more than half. Following were large families with multiple children at 64 households (20.6%), pregnant women at 43 households (13.9%), and single-parent families at 10 households (3.2%). The number of children per household was 1 child in 138 households (44.5%), 2 children in 108 households (34.8%), and 3 or more children in 19 households (6.1%). Children under 36 months accounted for 62.7% of the age group.

The majority of applicant households (285 households, 92.5%) hoped to use the service for six months. The most common number of usage days per week was five times, with 173 households (55.8%), followed by 1-2 times with 65 households (21.0%), and 3-4 times with 44 households (19.7%). Eleven households (3.5%) applied for weekend use. The most common usage time was 4 hours, with 196 households (63.2%), followed by 8 hours with 64 cases (20.6%), and 6 hours with 50 households (16.1%). By time slot, 78.3% of households preferred after 1 p.m. Demand is concentrated in the afternoon, so competition for usage during this time is expected to be high.

Selection of beneficiary households will prioritize single-parent, large families, dual-income families, and pregnant women in that order after the application period ends, while also comprehensively considering the age of children and desired usage period.

This project, in which 100 Philippine domestic helpers will work in Korea for six months, will start in September. To apply, register as a member on the mobile app of the service providers, Home Story Life Co., Ltd. (Daeri Jubu) or Hubris Co., Ltd. (Dolbom Plus), and click on 'Seoul Foreign Domestic Helper Pilot Project.' Eligible users are households residing in Seoul with children aged 12 or under (born after July 18, 2011) or expecting a child, and applications are accepted regardless of income level.

The usage cost is approximately 1.19 million KRW per month for 4 hours per day, including the hourly minimum wage (9,860 KRW this year) and the four major social insurances. This is 9.2% cheaper than the current public part-time comprehensive childcare worker service (care + housekeeping) at about 1.31 million KRW per month and 21.7% cheaper than private domestic helpers at 1.52 million KRW per month. However, some voices point out that the wage, which is 2 to 3 times higher compared to Hong Kong and Singapore where Philippine helpers are common, is burdensome. Hong Kong applies differentiated minimum wage systems for foreigners, and Singapore does not have a minimum wage concept at all, whereas Korea must pay foreigners the same minimum wage as nationals.

The 100 domestic helpers who will provide the service have already been selected under the supervision of the Korea Industrial Manpower Corporation and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. They hold relevant certificates certified by the Philippine government and have undergone language proficiency evaluations in English and Korean, health checkups, and background checks including criminal records. The qualification requirements are holders of the Philippine government-certified certificate (Caregiving NCⅡ) aged 24 to 38. All are from the Philippines, hold E-9 employment permit status, are fluent in English, and can communicate at a certain level in Korean. The service period is six months from early September to the end of February. Users can choose between full-time (8 hours) and part-time (6 or 4 hours), and service hours available from Monday to Friday are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. However, weekly working hours cannot exceed 52 hours.