A bill seeking to ease the financial and emotional burden on Filipino domestic workers in the country and abroad has been filed in the House of Representatives.
4Ps Party-list Rep. JC M. Abalos filed House Bill No. 11117, or the proposed Kasambahay Parents Support Act, which aims to provide direct social protection and financial assistance to local domestic workers and overseas Filipino household service workers with minor children left at home.
Abalos said the measure is designed to provide long-term financial security to qualified beneficiaries.
“Although the existing Social Security System (SSS) Act already has a provision for mandatory SSS contribution for our OFWs, the qualified local kasambahay are given the “SSS Contribution Option” that allows them to choose between receiving the direct cash aid or automatically diverting the full amount as an additional contribution toward their SSS coverage,” he said.
Under the proposed law, children of qualified kasambahay parent-beneficiaries would receive monthly cash assistance covering a maximum of three children per beneficiary.
Children enrolled in daycare, elementary, junior high school or senior high school would receive at least P1,000 per month.
To qualify for the benefit, school-aged children must maintain a minimum attendance rate of 85 percent, while beneficiaries must submit annual proof of verified caregiving arrangements.
Abalos said that while existing laws such as Republic Act No. 10361, or the Batas Kasambahay, and Republic Act No. 8042, or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act, provide baseline protections for domestic workers, HB 11117 specifically addresses the challenges faced by parents who work away from their own families while caring for others.
“Mula sa datos ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) at ng Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA), mayroong halos isa’t kalahating milyong Pilipino na nagtatrabaho bilang kasambahay sa buong bansa, at karamihan sa kanila ay nasa ‘live-out arrangement’. Ibig sabihin nito, ang ilan sa kanila ay may mga anak na iniiwan nila araw-araw para asikasuhin ang pamilya ng ibang tao, at alam nating napakahirap na sitwasyon ito para sa bawat ina o ama na dumadanas ng ganito,” Abalos said.
He also cited DOLE and PSA data showing that 83 percent of domestic workers have no social security coverage.
“Ayon pa rin sa DOLE at PSA, 83% ng bilang ng mga kasambahay na nabanggit ko ay walang social security coverage. Hindi na nga nila naaalagaan ang kanilang sariling pamilya, wala pa silang katiyakan na may maaasahan silang karagdagang tulong kung sakali man na sa hinaharap, sila ay magkasakit nang malubha, mabawasan ang kakayahan na magtrabaho dahil sa kapansanan, o sa kanilang pagtanda”, the 4Ps Representative further exclaimed.
The bill excludes beneficiaries already covered by other programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Registries would be cross-matched with other social security program databases to prevent overlapping benefits.
The amount of cash assistance would also be subject to mandatory review by Congress every three years in consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which would serve as the primary implementing agency.
The DSWD would work with the Department of Migrant Workers, Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, Department of Labor and Employment, and local government units in implementing the proposed law.
“Hopefully through this bill, we can address the unique ‘hidden cost’ of being a domestic helper here in the Philippines, and outside our country. The difficult balance of taking care of someone else’s home and family while also ensuring the welfare of their own children and care for them from a distance,” Abalos said.
RAW:
A measure seeking to help in easing the financial and emotional burdens carried by Filipino domestic workers here and outside the country has been filed in the House of Representatives.
In filing House Bill (HB) No. 11117 or the Kasambahay Parents Support Act, 4Ps Party-list Rep. JC M. Abalos said this measure would provide direct social protection and financial relief to both local domestic workers and Overseas Filipino Worker (OFWs) household service workers who have minor children left at home.
The measure is designed for long-term financial security – a unique feature of Kasambahay Parents Support Act.
“Although the existing Social Security System (SSS) Act already has a provision for mandatory SSS contribution for our OFWs, the qualified local kasambahay are given the “SSS Contribution Option” that allows them to choose between receiving the direct cash aid or automatically diverting the full amount as an additional contribution toward their SSS coverage,” he said.
The proposed law also intends to establish monthly cash assistance for the children of qualified kasambahay parent-beneficiaries, covering a maximum of three children per beneficiary. Children of kasambahay parent-beneficiary enrolled in daycare or elementary, junior and senior high school will receive an amount not lower than P1,000 per month.
As a prerequisite to this benefit, a minimum of 85 percent school attendance for school-aged children of the identified beneficiaries and annual proof of verified caregiving arrangements are required from the beneficiaries.
While existing laws such as Republic Act No. 10361 (the Batas Kasambahay) and Republic Act No. 8042 (the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act) offer strong baseline protections for domestic helpers as workers, HB 11117 wishes to support Filipino domestic workers and helpers in their emotionally taxing role as parents who are obliged to work far from their families just to take care of another.
“Mula sa datos ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) at ng Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA), mayroong halos isa’t kalahating milyong Pilipino na nagtatrabaho bilang kasambahay sa buong bansa, at karamihan sa kanila ay nasa ‘live-out arrangement’. Ibig sabihin nito, ang ilan sa kanila ay may mga anak na iniiwan nila araw-araw para asikasuhin ang pamilya ng ibang tao, at alam nating napakahirap na sitwasyon ito para sa bawat ina o ama na dumadanas ng ganito,” Abalos said.
“Ayon pa rin sa DOLE at PSA, 83% ng bilang ng mga kasambahay na nabanggit ko ay walang social security coverage. Hindi na nga nila naaalagaan ang kanilang sariling pamilya, wala pa silang katiyakan na may maaasahan silang karagdagang tulong kung sakali man na sa hinaharap, sila ay magkasakit nang malubha, mabawasan ang kakayahan na magtrabaho dahil sa kapansanan, o sa kanilang pagtanda”, the 4Ps Representative further exclaimed.
Moreover, the proposed legislation does not cover beneficiaries from other programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), as registries for this program will be cross-matched against other social security program databases.
Furthermore, the amount of cash assistance will undergo a mandatory review by Congress every three years in consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that will serve as the primary implementing agency, and will be working closely with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA), DOLE, and local government units (LGUs).
“Hopefully through this bill, we can address the unique ‘hidden cost’ of being a domestic helper here in the Philippines, and outside our country. The difficult balance of taking care of someone else’s home and family while also ensuring the welfare of their own children and care for them from a distance,” Abalos said.