Practical guides for families and helpers.
For families: how to find, hire, and keep a great yaya or housekeeper. For yayas: how to get verified, get hired, and know your rights. Written by the Pinoyaya editorial team.
How to hire a yaya in the Philippines: the complete 2026 guide
Where to look, what to budget, the legal essentials, and a realistic 14-day timeline — start here.
Read the guide →A plain-English guide to Batas Kasambahay (RA 10361)
Wages, benefits, contracts, termination — in clear language, with a free contract template.
Read the guide →More from the blog
How to become a yaya in the Philippines
Requirements, skills, TESDA training, and where to actually find work — a straight answer for anyone starting out.
How to become a verified yaya on Pinoyaya
Sign up, verify your ID, go live — the step-by-step guide to joining Pinoyaya as a helper and getting hired.
How to write a yaya profile that gets you hired
What to put in your bio and photo, and what to avoid, so families actually message you.
What you should be earning as a yaya in 2026
The legal minimum, what families actually pay, and exactly how to ask for a raise.
Find a verified yaya in Metro Manila
Salary ranges for BGC, Makati, QC, and Alabang, plus where families are hiring.
Find a verified yaya in Cebu
Local salary ranges, best areas, and Bisaya-language considerations.
Find a verified yaya in Davao
Local salary ranges and what's different about hiring in Davao City.
Find a verified yaya in Quezon City
Why Metro Manila's biggest city has the biggest helper candidate pool — and where to look.
Find a verified yaya in Makati
Salary ranges for Salcedo, Legazpi, Rockwell and the villages — and why condo and village hiring differ.
Find a verified yaya in BGC & Taguig
Building accreditation, live-out norms, and why BGC sits at the top of the Metro Manila range.
Find a verified yaya in Pasig
Ortigas, Kapitolyo and Valle Verde hire differently — rates and arrangements for each.
Find a verified yaya in Alabang
Metro Manila's live-in heartland: village packages, multi-staff households and long tenures.
Find a verified yaya in Parañaque
BF Homes, Better Living and Merville — a house market with a high share of OFW families.
Find a verified yaya in Mandaluyong
The best-connected city in the capital, and one of the easiest places to fill a live-out role.
Find a verified yaya in Iloilo City
Mandurriao, Jaro and La Paz — provincial rates, regional wage rules, and referral-culture risks.
Find a verified yaya in Cagayan de Oro
Northern Mindanao's hub: a deep regional helper pool, and what that means for hiring safely.
Find a verified yaya in Bacolod
Network hiring dominates here — and it's the easiest place to skip the check that matters.
Find a verified yaya in Pampanga & Angeles
The Clark corridor pays above the regional norm. Here's why, and what it asks for.
Yaya vs babysitter vs kasambahay: what's the difference?
Three words families use interchangeably — but they mean different things legally and practically.
How to hire a nanny in the Philippines
Everything a "nanny" search means in the Philippines, what it costs, and how to hire one safely.
How to hire a babysitter in the Philippines
Occasional and short-notice childcare versus a full-time yaya — how babysitting actually works here.
How to hire a housekeeper in the Philippines
General household help versus childcare — duties, typical pay, and how to hire safely.
10 questions to ask before hiring a yaya
The interview questions every Filipino family should ask — beyond “what’s your experience?”
SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG: a yaya benefits guide
How to enrol your kasambahay in government benefits — step by step.
How much should you pay a yaya in 2026?
Salary ranges by city, experience, and live-in status — what’s fair and what’s competitive.
What “Identity verified” actually means
Behind the badge: how a helper earns it with a government ID and a live selfie.
The first week with your new yaya
How to set expectations, build trust, and make the transition smooth for everyone.
Hiring a yaya from abroad: a guide for OFW families
How to find and vet a helper for your parents or children in the Philippines, remotely.
Hiring a yaya direct vs through an agency
The honest trade-off between placement agencies and hiring direct — costs, risks, and what families actually prefer.
Live-in vs live-out yaya: which is right for your family?
How living arrangements affect cost, privacy, and daily life — and how to decide what fits your home.
How to set up a yaya trial period that protects your family
How to structure a paid trial so both sides know it’s working — before you commit.
How to let go of a yaya respectfully (and legally)
How to end a kasambahay arrangement with dignity — the right notice, final pay, and how to handle the goodbye.