Legarda pushes bill granting benefits and protections to unpaid care workers

As the country observes National Women’s Month, Senator Loren Legarda is urging support for a proposed law that will extend tangible benefits and protections to unpaid care workers, many of whom are women who perform long hours of household and caregiving work without pay.

Legarda’s Senate Bill No. 161, or the Unpaid Care Workers Equity and Empowerment Act, treats unpaid care work – such as caring for children, the sick, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, as well as cooking, cleaning, and other household tasks – as work that contributes to the economy and to the functioning of families and communities.

“It is about time that the Philippines recognizes the critical role and importance of unpaid care workers in society by taking firm steps to identify and promote their rights and uphold their dignity and well-being by providing concrete benefits through the outlined comprehensive package of social development and welfare services, benefits, and privileges for unpaid care workers,” Legarda said.

The four-term Senator noted that Women’s Month is an appropriate time to highlight how unpaid care work continues to fall largely on women and to push for measures that give them access to services and opportunities.

The bill establishes a Comprehensive Package of Social Development and Welfare Services for qualified unpaid care workers and their families, to be led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in coordination with other agencies and local government units. The package includes livelihood development and skills training, counseling, parent effectiveness services, child and elderly care support, critical incident stress debriefing, and temporary shelter, legal assistance, and other support for those in need of protection.

“Stronger legal protections will always be the key to ensuring that women are treated with dignity and respect in all aspects of life. But laws will be insufficient if we do not uphold them with conviction, and that is why this measure pairs legal rights with services such as livelihood support, counseling, child and elderly care, and legal assistance so that unpaid care workers can actually claim and enjoy these protections,” Legarda said.

Unpaid care workers covered by the measure may also avail of a 20 percent discount on selected transportation services, restaurants, recreation centers, and medicines; protection against work discrimination; support for flexible work arrangements; and an additional three days of parental leave every year, on top of existing leave entitlements. The bill also opens scholarship programs and non-formal education for unpaid care workers and members of their household, and tasks the Department of Health (DoH) to craft a health care program for them, to be delivered through public hospitals and local health centers. It also mandates the integration of care work in education and directs local governments to implement care policies, submit progress reports, and participate in data gathering and information drives related to unpaid care work.

Legarda has long been a staunch advocate for women’s rights, having supported and advanced landmark laws including Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, Republic Act No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, Republic Act No. 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, Republic Act No. 11148 or the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act, and Republic Act No. 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law. (30)

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Legarda, isinusulong ang panukalang magbibigay ng benepisyo, proteksyon sa unpaid care workers

Sa pagdiriwang ng National Women’s Month, nanawagan si Senador Loren Legarda ng mas malakas na suporta sa panukalang batas na magbibigay ng konkretong benepisyo at proteksyon sa mga unpaid care worker.

Marami sa kanila ay kababaihang gumugugol ng mahabang oras sa pag-aalaga sa pamilya at gumagawa ng gawaing-bahay nang walang bayad.

Isinusulong ni Legarda ang Senate Bill No. 161 o ang Unpaid Care Workers Equity and Empowerment Act.

Kinikilala ng panukalang ito ang unpaid care work tulad ng pag-aalaga sa mga bata, may sakit, matatanda, at persons with disabilities, pati ang pagluluto, paglilinis, at iba pang gawaing-bahay bilang tunay na trabaho na may ambag sa ekonomiya at sa maayos na takbo ng mga pamilya at komunidad.

“Panahon na upang kilalanin ng Pilipinas ang kritikal na papel at kahalagahan ng mga unpaid care worker sa lipunan sa pamamagitan ng matitibay na hakbang upang matukoy at maitaguyod ang kanilang mga karapatan at mapangalagaan ang kanilang dignidad at kapakanan sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng kongkretong benepisyo sa ilalim ng komprehensibong package ng mga serbisyong panlipunang kaunlaran at kapakanan, mga benepisyo, at mga pribilehiyo para sa mga unpaid care worker,” sabi ni Legarda.

Ayon sa four-term senador, mahalagang panahon ang Women’s Month upang bigyang-diin na hanggang ngayon, karamihan sa unpaid care work ay ginagampanan pa rin ng mga kababaihan.

Aniya, kailangang itulak ang mga hakbang na magbibigay sa kanila ng mas maayos na access sa mga serbisyo at oportunidad.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, bubuo ang pamahalaan ng Comprehensive Package of Social Development and Welfare Services para sa mga kwalipikadong unpaid care worker at kanilang pamilya.

Mangunguna rito ang Department of Social Welfare and Development o DSWD katuwang ang iba pang ahensya at mga lokal na pamahalaan.

Kabilang sa mga serbisyong ito ang livelihood development at skills training, counseling, parent effectiveness services, suporta sa pag-aalaga ng bata at matatanda, critical incident stress debriefing, at pansamantalang matutuluyan, legal assistance, at iba pang tulong para sa mga nangangailangan ng proteksiyon.

“Ang mas matibay na legal na proteksiyon ang susi upang matiyak na ang mga kababaihan ay tratuhin nang may dignidad at respeto sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay. Ngunit hindi magiging sapat ang mga batas kung hindi natin ito ipatutupad nang may paninindigan, kaya ipinares ng panukalang ito ang mga legal na karapatan sa mga serbisyong tulad ng livelihood support, counseling, child and elderly care, at legal assistance upang tunay na maangkin at mapakinabangan ng mga unpaid care worker ang mga proteksiyong ito,” dagdag ni Legarda.

Ayon pa sa panukala, maaari ring makakuha ang mga unpaid care worker ng 20% discount sa piling serbisyo sa transportasyon, mga restaurant, recreation centers, at mga gamot.

Bibigyan din sila ng proteksyon laban sa diskriminasyon sa trabaho, suporta para sa flexible work arrangements, at karagdagang tatlong araw na parental leave bawat taon bukod pa sa umiiral na mga leave benefit.

Magbubukas din ang panukalang batas ng scholarship programs at non-formal education para sa mga unpaid care worker at miyembro ng kanilang pamilya.

Inaatasan din nito ang Department of Health (DOH) na bumuo ng health care program para sa kanila na ipatutupad sa mga pampublikong ospital at lokal na health center.

Isasama rin sa edukasyon ang pagpapahalaga sa care work.

Inaatasan din ang mga lokal na pamahalaan na magpatupad ng mga care policy, magsumite ng progress report, at makilahok sa pagkalap ng datos, at information drive kaugnay ng unpaid care work.

Matagal nang kilalang tagapagtanggol ng women’s rights si Legarda. Suportado at itinulak niya ang mahahalagang batas tulad ng Republic Act No. 9262 o ang Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, RA No. 9710 o ang Magna Carta of Women, RA No. 10364 o ang Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, RA No. 11148 o ang Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act, at RA No. 11210 o ang Expanded Maternity Leave Law. (30)