In 7 months, we’ve gone thru 3 yayas. Didn’t expect to go thru so many in such a short time. Apparently, they don’t last as long as they used to.
Although I still can’t claim to be an expert on yayas (hardly!), I’ve learned a few things:
- Yayas don’t really care much about the Kasambahay Law.
- Contrary to popular belief, they don’t like taking a lot of day offs. “Magastos eh,” they say.
- Some of them (not all) will take advantage of your first sign of weakness. If you unhesitatingly give in to something, they will ask for more. Sad, but true.
- They usually have a “fair market price.” Pasig (bayan) rate for yayas is around 3,500. In BGC and Makati, it’s 6,500.
- If you don’t pay the market rate, other households in your area can easily poach your Yaya.
- Yayas refer each other to other households. That’s usually how they get poached. If you think your Yaya doesn’t have friends in your area, you’re wrong. They will definitely get to know other yayas and communicate with them via text.
- They also look for boyfriends thru text. Hehe.
- Some agencies are scams. They make money out of finders fee. After the contract term is over, they connive with the Yaya to leave so that you will go back to the agency to find another Yaya (and pay the finders fee once again)
- Established agencies usually have yayas who have been working in Metro Manila for a long time. That is a good and bad thing.
- Yayas who have been working for a few years in Metro Manila seem to have more tendencies of jumping from one employer so another.
What’s your experience with yayas? Lemme know.