Stakeholders attend forum on “Kasambahay law”

By Gideon C. Corgue

PAGADIAN CITY – After the Department of Labor and Employment announced that Republic Act No. 10361 otherwise known as “Domestic Workers Act”  took effect on Tuesday, June 4,  a media forum was hosted by the Philippine Information Agency 9  at  Anastacia Pension House to discuss the salient provisions of the law.

“It is very timely that the forum on Domestic Workers law is conducted by PIA along with the stakeholders to disseminate the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law,” labor and employment office chief Lourdes Amores announced.

Amores said RA 10361, which was signed by President Benigno Aquino III on January 18 mandates that the minimum wage of household service workers (HSWs) in the country is set to P2,500 a month for those employed in the National Capital Region; P2,000 a month for those employed in chartered cities and first class municipalities; and P1,500 a month for those employed in other municipalities.

Amores said the purpose of the law is to protect the rights and provide better privileges of domestic workers for them to become more productive citizens of the country. She said they have contributed a lot in the daily activities of our family and the community as well.

Meanwhile, Social Security System branch head James Buckley said SSS welcomes the signing of the “Kasambahay Law” saying that it will give more benefits to domestic workers. “With the implementation of the law, they  can now avail the disability, sickness, loan, maternity, death and funeral benefits of our agency,” he opined.

Buckley said before, there were only very few house helpers enrolled since there was no law that mandates compulsory coverage of kasambahay in their social security programs.

However, SSS is now working for the full implementation of the law expressing optimism that domestic workers will register and enroll in their programs.

Pag-IBIG fund marketing specialist Miraflor Eballena said they are doing the same campaign with fellow stakeholders. “With the law, we  expect to have many domestic workers to register as members of Pag-IBIG,” Eballena assured saying that almost all employees of their agency have already registered their domestic workers in their programs.

PhilHealth public relation officer Ronald Jabay is grateful that the government is putting teeth into the law so that  employers can now enroll and register their domestic workers with PhilHealth.

Jabay said domestic workers are entitled to avail social protection benefits such as health insurance under the PhilHealth program. “They are entitled to full in-patient benefits when confined in any government and private hospitals accredited with PhilHealth,” he added. (ALT/GCC/PIA9-Pagadian City)