| About the Senator 
|
Quick Links
|
What's New?
|
| | |
07-02-2010 Jinggoy to push for Kasambahay Bill anew
Posted: July 4th, 2010 @ 11:28pm
Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada refiles a Senate bill once called the “Freedom Charter for the Household Workers,” after the counterpart bill in the House of Representatives failed to be passed by the Chamber.
Kasambahay Bill (or Senate Bill 1662 in the 14th Congress) was already approved by the Senate on November 5, 2007, and was transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence the next day. The bill was refiled July 1, 2010 with the Bills and Index Service and was logged as Senate Bill No. 78.
“This time I will make sure that this sector of our labor force, often looked down on and feeling helpless, will be guaranteed decent working condition with the passage of this bill,” says Sen. Estrada, who steered the passage of the bill on the part of the Senate in his concurrent capacity as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development and of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment (COCLE).
Under the bill, “kasambahay” refers to “any person who renders for compensation to a homeowner or employer undertaking tasks ascribed as normal household chores within a specific household.” The term includes maids, cooks, houseboys, family drivers, and yayas who provide daily service on a full-time, live-in or live-out basis.
The bill also prescribes a written employment contract between the employer and the kasambahay which shall state: period of employment, monthly compensation, annual salary increase, duties and responsibilities, working hours and day-off schedule, and living quarters.
Employers will also be required to enrol house helpers to Social Security System (SSS) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as insurance plan holders.
Usual scenarios and grievances experienced by the kasambahay such as receiving salaries in form of promissory notes, withholding of wages, making deductions as reimbursement for loss or damage to household equipments, and being bound in continuous employment as payment for a loan will all be deemed illegal.
On the other hand, to prove that the applicants will be physically fit for the job, they will be asked to present medical certificate, barangay clearance and authenticated birth certificate as prerequisites for employment.
Sen. Estrada expressed confidence that the 15th Congress, despite the reconstitution of its members, will see the bill’s strong merits and noble intention of promoting the welfare of house helpers.
“Kahit pa umpisa ulit kami sa step one, malaking bagay na naipasa na ito sa Senado noong nakaraang Kongreso. Ibig sabihin, nakita ng aking mga kasamahang mambabatas ang kahalagahan nitong panukalang batas at ang kabutihang maidudulot nito sa tao,” Sen. Estrada enthuses.
-30-
|
| |
To subscribe to our enewsletter, please enter your email address in the box above and click the "Subscribe" button.
 |
|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | | | | |
|
|
|
| |
