How to hire a cook or a kasambahay who cooks

Cook or kasambahay who cooks?

A household cook plans and cooks the family's meals, does the marketing and keeps the kitchen clean. A kasambahay who cooks also cleans, does laundry or helps with children. In law both are kasambahay: RA 10361 names the cook among its examples of a domestic worker (Section 4).

Decide which one you need before you post, because the scope shapes the pay you offer and who applies. For an all-round helper, see our housekeeper and kasambahay guide.

What to ask a cook before hiring

• Which dishes do you cook often? Can you follow a recipe you haven't tried?
• Have you cooked for special diets, such as low-salt, diabetic-friendly, soft food for elderly family members, or food allergies?
• How do you plan a week of meals and a market budget?
• How do you keep raw meat and cooked food apart, and how do you store leftovers?
• How do you handle market money and receipts?

More interview ideas: 10 questions to ask before hiring a yaya. Most of them work for any household role.

Test cooking skills fairly in a paid trial day

RA 10361 has no rule written for trial days, but three of its rules shape a fair one:

• Pay in cash, directly to the cook. The law requires kasambahay wages to be paid in cash, directly to the worker (Section 25).
• No deposit for breakage. Requiring a domestic worker to make deposits to cover loss or damage to "tools, materials, furniture and equipment" is unlawful (Section 14). Don't ask for one, on a trial day or after.
• Keep the kitchen safe. The employer must safeguard the domestic worker's health and safety (Section 19). Show where the gas valve, fire extinguisher and first-aid kit are before cooking starts.

Our advice for a fair test: agree the dishes, hours and pay before the day; ask for one dish you choose and one the cook chooses; buy the ingredients yourself; and judge planning, kitchen hygiene and taste together. Pay for the day even if you don't hire. For a longer trial after hiring, see our trial period guide.

Health certificate and clearances

Before signing the contract, an employer may require a medical or health certificate from a local government health officer, barangay and police clearance, an NBI clearance, and a document showing the worker's age (RA 10361, Section 12). The law says the prospective employer pays for these.

You may have heard that cooks must have a health certificate. That rule is in the Code on Sanitation (PD 856, Section 15): "No person shall be employed in any food establishment without a Health Certificate issued by the local health authority." The code uses "food establishment" for establishments where food or drinks are manufactured, processed, stored, sold or served, and requires a sanitary permit for those operating "for public patronage" (Section 14). For a cook in your own home, the health certificate is something you may ask for under RA 10361, at your cost.

What to pay a household cook

The legal floor is the kasambahay minimum wage for your region: ₱7,800 a month in Metro Manila and between ₱5,500 and ₱7,500 in the other regions on NWPC's list of latest wage orders as of 10 October 2026. See the full table by region.

We did not find a reliable published figure for household cook pay above the minimum, so we don't quote one. On Pinoyaya, cooks show their asking rate on their profile, so you can compare before you message.

On top of the wage come 13th-month pay, a weekly rest day, 5 days of paid leave after a year, and SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG. Details are in our benefits guide.

What to put in the contract

RA 10361 (Section 11) requires a written contract signed before work starts, in a language both of you understand, with a signed copy for the cook. By law it must include:

• Duties and responsibilities
• Period of employment
• Pay, and authorized deductions
• Hours of work and additional pay for extra hours
• Rest days and allowable leave
• Board, lodging and medical attention
• Any agreement on deployment expenses or loans
• How the job can end, and any other lawful condition you both agree

For a cook, also write down:

• Which meals, for how many people, and on which days
• Diets to follow, such as low-salt, diabetic-friendly or allergy-free cooking
• Whether marketing is included, and how market money is handed over and accounted for, with receipts
• Any other duties, such as cleaning, laundry or childcare

Two rules to keep in mind when you write it: no deductions from wages except those required by law or agreed by the cook in writing (Section 25), and no deposits for broken kitchen tools or equipment (Section 14). DOLE is required to make a model employment contract available free (Section 11). You can also start from our free kasambahay contract template.

Common questions

Is a household cook a kasambahay?

Yes. Batas Kasambahay (RA 10361, Section 4) lists the cook as one example of a domestic worker, alongside general househelp, yaya, gardener and laundry person.

What is the minimum wage for a household cook?

The kasambahay minimum wage for your region: ₱7,800 a month in Metro Manila (NCR) and between ₱5,500 and ₱7,500 in the other regions on NWPC's list of latest wage orders as of 10 October 2026.

Can I ask a cook for a health certificate?

Yes. Before signing the contract, RA 10361 (Section 12) lets the employer require a medical or health certificate, barangay and police clearance, and an NBI clearance. The employer pays for them.

Should I pay for a cooking trial?

Yes. A trial day is work. Agree the dishes, hours and pay in advance, buy the ingredients yourself, and pay in cash for the day whether or not you hire. RA 10361 also makes it unlawful to require a deposit for loss or damage to tools or equipment.

Does a household cook need a health certificate by law?

The Code on Sanitation (PD 856, Section 15) requires a health certificate for anyone employed in a food establishment, meaning an establishment where food or drinks are manufactured, processed, stored, sold or served. For a household cook, RA 10361 (Section 12) lets you require a medical or health certificate before signing the contract, at your cost.

How much should I pay a kasambahay who cooks and cleans?

At least your region's kasambahay minimum wage. Above that, pay depends on the scope of work and experience, and we did not find a reliable published figure to quote. Compare asking rates on helper profiles before you make an offer.

Sources

Checked on 1 Nov 2026. Laws and wage orders change: confirm current figures with the official source before you rely on them.

• Republic Act No. 10361 (Batas Kasambahay / Domestic Workers Act), full text: LawPhil
• Presidential Decree No. 856 (Code on Sanitation of the Philippines), Sections 14 and 15: LawPhil
• NWPC: Latest wage orders issued by the regional boards, as of 10 October 2026 (PDF): domestic worker rates on pages 3 and 4
• GMA News (23 May 2024): DOLE Hotline 1349 is a free 24/7 call center for labour concerns

This guide is for general information only. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, ask DOLE (hotline 1349) or a Philippine labour lawyer.