At age nine, Winelyn Amida worked as a babysitter of a child only four years younger than her. Amida, whose father died and whose mother abandoned her earlier in life, took home around P50 a day for this “stay-out" job.
“Mahirap po siya dahil bata ako no’n. Imbis na nag-aaral ako, nagtratrabaho ako," Amida told GMA News Online.
That was in 2000.
Eleven years and around eight employers later, Amida – who has received scholarship assistance and training from the non-government organization Visayan Forum Foundation – fights for the rights of household helpers or kasambahays as an organizer for the advocacy group Samahan at Ugnayan ng mga Manggagawang Pantahanan sa Pilipinas (SUMAPI).
At the “Grand Day-Off" organized by the Visayan Forum and SUMAPI on Sunday, Amida and other kasambahays clamored for a wider set of rights covering more equitable salaries and education benefits, among other things.
Petitions
In particular, SUMAPI relayed an eight-point list of petitions that the group handed to the Philippine delegation to the 100th International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland this month.
For this conference sponsored by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the group is pushing for an international convention that will set labor standards for domestic workers worldwide.
In its appeal, SUMAPI lobbied for the possible setting of salaries based on the minimum wage, as well as for other incentives such as an overtime rate. The group also petitioned for mandatory social security, health insurance, and maternity benefits.
“Hindi kami makina na kayang magtrabaho nang tuluy-tuloy kaya’t nais namin na malinaw ang pagkakaroon ng day-off at lingguhang pahinga, at maitakda ang normal na oras ng trabaho ng mga kasambahay," the group said.
SUMAPI also pushed for the rights of kasambahays, especially the minors among them, to go to school and engage in enrichment activities. “Para sa mga batang nagtratrabaho bilang kasambahay, nararapat lamang na matamasa din nila ang karapatang nauukol sa bata," the group said.
SUMAPI also said the employment of kasambahays must be bound by a contract, written in the prospective employee’s local dialect and signed at his or her place of origin.
Unscrupulous recruiters must be made accountable as well, the group said. “Sana ay maisama sa usapan na marami sa amin ang naging biktima ng human trafficking at forced labor – at marami pa sa amin ang maaaring maging biktima pa," SUMAPI said.
During the event, Meneleo Carlos Jr., national co-chairperson of the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development, said it has been his practice to send his household helpers to school. Recounting the progress of his former kasambahays after he sent them to school, Carlos described the endeavor as rewarding for any employer.
“Walang sukat ‘yung pagmamahal na tatanggapin nila kung sila ay tumulong sa mga kasambahay," he said.
Magna Carta for Domestic Workers
Carlos meanwhile called for the passage of the Magna Carta for Domestic Workers, now pending in Congress, which establishes standards for the welfare of kasambahays.
Approved on third and final reading in December last year, a Senate bill requires employers to pay their kasambahays at least P2,500 if employed within Metro Manila, at least P2,000 if in chartered cities and first-class municipalities, and at least P1,500 if in third-class municipalities.
“This pro-poor bill will benefit two million domestic workers," said Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who introduced the bill.
Carlos said the bill will also promote the rights of Filipino domestic workers in other parts of the globe. “Paano gagalangin ang ating mga kasambahay sa ibang parte ng mundo kung hindi natin sila gagalangin dito?" he said.
Household helpers in the Philippines frequently complain of being unpaid and enduring physical abuse, according to GMA News TV’s public service program “On Call."
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In an interview with “On Call" anchors Ivan Mayrina and Connie Sison, lawyer Jasmin Rodriguez gave suggestions for the equitable treatment of kasambahays, but noted a limitation.
“Sa ngayon, wala pa kasing batas na naipapasa para sa mga kasambahay lang," Rodriguez said. “Hindi yata siya kasama sa mga prioritized na bill para ipasa sa Kongreso."
Global perspective
Domestic workers in Asia, including those in the Philippines, make up the largest chunk of domestic workers worldwide, says the ILO in its 2010 data. The organization estimates that 41 percent of the world’s domestic workers come from Asia.
The second largest concentration is in Latin America and the Carribean, followed by Africa, then selected “advanced" countries, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
All over the world, 83 percent of domestic workers are female, adds the ILO. — KBK
