Domestic workers, local execs bring to life to popular bill
Last April 24, was Domestic Workers' Day in the Philippines. Domestic workers continue to fight for their own rights by promising to gather a million signatures that aim to push for the passage of a law that protects them. The Batas Kasambahay continues to prove that it can be implemented. The Quezon City brings life to the principles of the proposed law by becoming the first local government to require massive registration of domestic workers.
Domestic workers continue to fight for their own rights by promising to gather a million signatures that aim to push for the passage of a law that protects them. The Batas Kasambahay continues to prove that it can be implemented. The Quezon City brings life to the principles of the proposed law by becoming the first local government to require massive registration of domestic workers, apart from the mandated enrolment to the social security system.
Last April 24, the Visayan Forum helped mobilize these two major efforts that also involve multisectoral partners during the annual celebration of the Araw ng mga Kasambahay or Domestic Workers’ Day.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel, a co-sponsor who filed last year his own version Senate Bill 1678, personally came to express his support by addressing the crowd of advocates from the government, civil society, business and private groups, the religious and the domestic workers themselves flocked to the Meditation Area of the Quezon City Memorial Circle.
“It recognizes that you as domestic workers have a dignity as human beings. There will come a time that there will be a breakdown in the capacity of the human body to withstand the work. And therefore, you should be protected through SSS and other privileges. I will also fight for your 13th month pay”, Pimentel promised.
There are one million domestic workers serving Filipino families. National statistics reveal that only a few may be receiving just salaries and benefits, nor everyone is being treated well by their employers. Many end up choosing to suffer in silence out of fear of losing their jobs or of being punished by their employers. Many of them are not even aware of their rights. Others do not know what to do when abused at work.
“Magkakaroon tayo ng isang milyon na paglagak ng mga pirma sa buong bansa at pag di pa tayo pakinggan, sasama ba kayo sa amin sa mga kalsada para ipaglaban ang inyong karapatan? Kailangan na nating tapusin yong laban ‘di ba?” (We will start a campaign for one million signatures and if they still don’t heed our call [for the passage of the Domestic Workers’ Bill], will you go out to the streets with us to fight for your rights? We have to finish this fight soon, don’t you think so?), asks Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, Visayan Forum (VF) president. VF and its partners have been pushing for this law since the past ten years.
She noted that daily experiences with abused domestic workers prompted VF to lead the push for the passage of the Batas Kasambahay, a special law to recognize the important contribution to Filipino households and to society in general. Batas Kasambahay intends to uplift the working and living standards of domestic workers and to provide them with opportunities for development. These rights are have long been taken for granted.
“We honor your courage and protagonism,” says Sr. Amelia Hererro of the Religious of Mary Immaculate (RMI), a congregation providing education services to domestic workers who have attended the celebrations.
Atty. Charito Planas of the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation Inc., Secretary-General Jurgette Honculada of the National Federation of Labor, Meneleo Carlos of the Bishops-Businessmen Conference on Human Development-Cluster on Labor and Employment, Sr. Amelia Herreo, Quezon City Councilor Ariel Inton and Serenidad Lavador of ILO-IPEC also shared their commitment of support for Batas Kasambahay.
Quezon City Councilor Francisco Calalay, sponsor of the QC Kasambahay ordinance, was also there for the ceremonial signing of the said ordinance which will require a massive registration of domestic workers, the first among local governments to take such action.
Partners also took part in the Kasambahay Fair for domestic workers who were provided with assistance on their medical and dental concerns, SSS and Philhealth registration, and legal matters, among others.
VF also launched the “Isang Milyong Pirma para sa Batas Kasambahay”, a nationwide campaign meant to gather one million signatures in support for the passage of Batas Kasambahay.
Immediately after the launch, the Senate called for a Technical Working Group meeting last April 26 to gather positions of stakholders. Oebanda emphasized the need to prioritize the bill to provide a more appropriate protection to domestic workers than what the outdated Labor Code provides. The International Labor Organization, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Social Security System, the Religious of Mary Immaculate and Samahan at Ugnayan ng mga Manggagawang Pantahanan sa Pilipinas also expressed their shared support to the Senate Bill 1772 authored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
VF and the Anti-Slavery International have initiated an international letter campaigner calling for worldwide e-mail sending to the President of the Philippines and to the head legislators in both the Senate and House of Representatives to immediately passage of Batas Kasambahay.
VF is also spearheading a multisectoral initiative to launch a National Domestic Workers’ Summit in August 2-4, 2005 to domestic workers themselves and other agencies to come up with a national agenda for both local and overseas domestic workers.
Indeed, at the local, national and international levels of advocacy, with the support of its partners and advocates, VF will continue fighting for reforms for the benefit of domestic workers. It will leave no stones unturned for the passage of Batas Kasambahay, the challenges and difficulties notwithstanding.
For further information on this article, please email Ms Jannis Montanez at [email protected] or Vincent Nicolai Henson 2t [email protected].
You can also download the following photographs linked below:
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