Visayan Forum hails PH Senate concurrence to international treaty for domestic workers

Human rights awardee Ma. Cecilia Flores Oebanda congratulated the Philippine Senate after it approved International Labor Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers during its August 6, 2012 session. 

“The Senate concurrence to ILO 189 is a historic moment for the Philippines as it signifies the start of better protection and improved working and living conditions for more than 3 million Filipino domestic workers inside the Philippines and even those who are working in other countries,” Oebanda declares.

With the Senate vote, the Philippines will now be the second country to formally ratify ILO Convention 189 after Uruguay.  The Convention will now enter into force as soon as the Philippines formally delivers the ratification instrument to ILO Geneva.

“Millions of domestic workers in the Philippines and all over the world have been waiting for this moment.  They have been traditionally excluded from labor laws and other regulations protecting the rights of workers against abuse.  It is high time that domestic workers get the recognition and the protection that they deserve,” Oebanda states.

The Convention mandates ratifying ILO member countries to establish standards for decent wages, employment conditions, social protection coverage, and effective protection against forced labor, debt bondage, and other forms of abuse.

The Senate vote has been eagerly anticipated by the international community.  The petition for the Philippine ratification to ILO Convention 189 has garnered more than 50,000 signatures from all over the world, through the efforts of anti-slavery group, Walk Free.

“Visayan Forum and partners from among domestic workers, trade unions, civil society groups, religious organizations, and migrant groups express our sincerest gratitude to Senators Loren Legarda, Jinggoy Estrada, and Koko Pimentel for expediting the Senate concurrence,” Oebanda said.  “With this unanimous vote, the message of our Philippine Senate is loud and clear – domestic work is indeed decent work! Domestic Workers are not slaves,” states Oebanda.

Oebanda also called for urgent approval of the Domestic Workers Act, pending for Third and Final reading at the House of Representatives.  The Senate has already approved its version of the Bill since 2010.

“Our urgent task right now is to make sure that the promise of ILO Convention 189 will not remain a promise.  Our congressmen have to act on the Domestic Workers Bill and send the signal to the whole world that we will not tolerate slavery in our midst,” concludes Oebanda.