Congress passes ‘kasambahay’ bill

MANILA, Philippines - Congress is now ready to transmit to President Aquino the final version of the proposed “Batas Kasambahay” for his signature after the Senate ratified its version of the measure yesterday.

The House of Representatives has also ratified the bicameral report on the Kasambahay bill, which seeks to standardize the salaries and benefits of household helpers (kasambahays) and protect them from abusive employers.

Ratification of the report took place on Monday night, shortly after the House mustered a quorum of 174.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada yesterday sponsored the joint explanation of the bicameral conference committee on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill 78 and House Bill 6144, which opened a break to plenary deliberations on the 2013 budget.

“The long wait is over,” Estrada said.

“From the time the Labor Code took effect in 1974, it took the legislature 19 years to amend only one provision increasing the minimum wage of domestic workers with the enactment of Republic Act 7655 on August 1993. It took us another 19 years from 1993 to this day to grant more benefits and provide more protection to our kasambahays,” he said.

The Batas Kasambahay, originally filed by former senator Francisco Tatad during the 10th Congress in 1996, is a response to the recommendations of the 1st National Consultation on Child Domestic Workers in the Philippines.

“I look forward to witnessing the moment when President Aquino finally signs this landmark legislation into law. This is an indication of Congress’ resolve and commitment to put an end to the plight of the marginalized and unsung heroes of our household,” Estrada said.

Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, filed his version of the Kasambahay bill during his first term as senator in 2004.

Estrada also said the date when the President would sign into law the Batas Kasambahay should be designated as “Araw ng mga Kasambahay.”

At the House, Reps. Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora, Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan, Magtanggol Gunigundo of Valenzuela, Edcel Lagman of Albay, and Jack Enrile of Cagayan are among the authors of the measure.

The approval of the bill and its signing into law “would be a perfect Christmas present to our hardworking house helpers,” Angara said.

Ejercito said the measure would benefit some two million kasambahays throughout the country.

“More important than standardizing their economic benefits is the protection the proposed law gives them from possible abuse and maltreatment,” he said.

It also gives them the opportunity to pursue schooling, he added.

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Vice President Jejomar Binay hailed the passage of the Kasambahay bill that would give dignity and respect to the 1.9 million domestic workers in the country.

Binay, chairman of the Pag-IBIG  Fund’s board of trustees, said the Kasambahay bill is a fitting recognition to the sacrifices being made by Filipino household helpers everyday.

“The Kasambahay bill sets standards for the protection of household workers that are consistent with international standards. It gives our household workers the dignity and respect that they deserve,” he said.

Binay also reminded household workers that they can already sign up as members of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) and can avail themselves of multi-purpose, calamity and housing loans.

He said there were some 1,765 household workers registered as Pag-IBIG members as of September.

And even if the Kasambahay bill has yet to be enacted into law, Binay said existing law requires employers to registered their house helpers as members of Pag-IBIG and to pay a counterpart contribution.

“Under the law, domestic workers earning P1,500 and below shall contribute 1 percent of their salary, while those earning P1,500 and above shall contribute two percent of their salary. Their employers are required to contribute two percent as counterpart,” Binay said.

Binay said the Pag-IBIG had signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Samahan at Ugnayan ng mga Manggagawang Pantahanan sa Pilipinas providing for a joint campaign for membership registration, information dissemination, and seminars and conferences for kasambahays.

He said kasambahays enjoy the same benefits as any Pag-IBIG member and can even apply for a housing loan of up to P400,000 if they can pay the P2,000 monthly amortization.

“They can also apply for a housing loan of up to P100,000 with a monthly amortization of P500,” Binay said.

The bill sets the minimum monthly wage of domestic workers at no less than P2,500 a month for those employed in Metro Manila, P2,000 a month for those employed in chartered cities and first class towns and P1,500 a month for those in other municipalities.

After one year, the regional tripartite wages and productivity boards are mandated to review and adjust the rates. – Jose Rodel Clapano