Hope, excitement and big smiles abound as Filipino nannies arrive in Seoul

One hundred Filipino nannies arrived in Korea on Tuesday, excitedly and nervously smiling at reporters as they walked through Incheon International Airport in the morning.

Filipino domestic caregivers arrive at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

One hundred Filipino nannies arrived in Korea on Tuesday, excitedly and nervously smiling at reporters as they walked through Incheon International Airport in the morning. The domestic caregivers, set to start working next month, arrived in matching blue jackets featuring the Philippines national flag.

“My excitement is bigger than the exhaustion from the flight,” one of the Filipino domestic caregivers told reporters when asked about their four-hour flight to Korea. Some seemed surprised to see reporters and photographers greeting them at the airport, while others responded with big smiles and even finger hearts.

The foreign nannies, the first batch hired by the country, will undergo a monthlong training program before they start working in households in Seoul for six months beginning in September. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor oversee the pilot program, which was launched to address the shortage of caregivers and the high cost of child care in Korea.

The government plans to improve the scheme through the pilot period until February.

Filipino caregivers arrive at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Among the domestic caregivers who arrived on Tuesday was Glory Masinag, a 32-year-old who studied marketing at a university in the Philippines.

“I chose Korea because I like the country so much,” she said, speaking slowly in Korean. “I was so surprised when I heard I passed [for employment]. My friends were jealous because they also wished to come to Korea.”

Masinag, a licensed caregiver, looked forward to enjoying the culture and making many Korean friends during her stay in the country.

“I want to help my family and also study for a master’s degree in the Philippines after I make money in Korea,” she said.

The caregivers, aged between 24 and 38, hold the Caregiving National Certification Level II, certified by the Philippine government.

The Korean government's selection criteria included language proficiency in English and Korean, health exams and criminal record checks.

Starting Tuesday, they will go through a monthlong training totaling 160 hours, which includes sessions on basic legal education and health and safety. Additionally, as households can hire them for four, six or eight hours a day between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays, they will stay in separate housing in southern Seoul.

The domestic caregivers are guaranteed Korea’s minimum wage of 9,860 won ($7.1) an hour and the four major social insurances. They will make 1.19 million won a month working four hours a day.

Filipino caregivers sort their luggage before boarding a bus provided by the Seoul city government at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Households in Seoul with a child aged 12 or younger or expecting a baby were eligible to apply for the program regardless of income status through service providers Homesaeng and Hubriz by Tuesday. Selection priority will be given to single-parent families, households with at least three children, working parents and households with pregnant mothers, in that order. Other factors will also be considered, such as the children’s age and the expected hiring period.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]