Page 28 - NOVEMBER 2017 'A' ISSUE

28 www.hello-philippines.com
Time to turn commitments into actionDECENTWORKFORDOMESTICWORKERS
WE are posting this article by
Tomoko Nishimoto, ILO Assistant
Director-General and Regional Director
for Asia and the Pacific, ahead of the
10th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labor,
which takes place in Manila on October
25-26.
Often called the largest invisible
workforce, there are almost 10 million
domestic workers in Southeast Asia
and the Pacific. More than two million
are migrant domestic workers. In fact,
domestic workers make up nearly 20
per cent of all migrant workers in the
ASEAN region. The vast majority are
women.
As the 10th ASEAN Forum on
Migrant Labor is taking place on 25-26
October in Manila, the theme Towards
Achieving Decent Work for Domestic
Workers in ASEAN was strategically
chosen to celebrate the 10th anniversary social security benefits, minimum
of its Declaration on the Protection
and Promotion of Rights of Migrant
Workers.
Spalenadigtaon tjuhnukmbPs2d9o-Mwn gHraofntasraanp’ss
File photo of Sen. Gringo
Honasan. Senate PRIB/
Edward Ganal
MANILA – The Sandiganbayan
Second Division has thumbed down
Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan’s
plea for the court to reconsider its
Sept. 22, 2017 decision to dismiss
the two counts of graft that the Office
of the Ombudsman filed against the
lawmaker in relation to the alleged
misuse of P29.1 million worth of
Priority Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF).
“After a careful study, the court
finds that movant’s motion for
reconsideration is devoid of merit. The
court correctly read and interpreted
movant’s motion as one for judicial
determination or re-determination
of probable cause,” read the anti-
graft court’s six-page Oct. 27, 2017
resolution penned by Associate Justice
Oscar C. Herrera Jr. and concurred in
by associate justices Michael Frederick
L. Musngi and Lorifel L. Pahimna.
Last August, the ombudsman accused
Honasan of allegedly not complying
with procurement regulations when the
It also coincides with the 6th
anniversary of ILO’s convention on
Domestic Workers (No. 189). This
international labor standard adopted
by all ILO member States in 2011
officially recognizes domestic work as
work. It sets out that domestic workers
who care for families and households
worldwide must have the same basic
labor rights as those available to other
workers: reasonable hours of work and
pay, weekly rest, clear information on
terms and conditions of employment,
access to social security schemes and
respect for their fundamental principles
and rights at work including freedom of
association.
In reality, in most ASEAN Member
States, provisions under labor laws do
not apply to domestic workers thereby
excludes them from the protection
provided to other workers such as
wage and limitation in working hours.
In fact, a recent study showed that 61
lawmaker in June 2012 endorsed Focus
Development Goals Foundation, Inc. as
a non-government organization partner
and authorized the released of his PDAF
to the organization in two tranches,
amounting to P29.1 million.
According to the ombudsman,
a check dated May 30, 2012 and
disbursement voucher approving the
payment were prepared in favor of
Focus even before the organization
was informed that it was qualified to
undertake a project to finance small
and medium enterprise and livelihood
activities for Muslim Filipinos in Metro
Manila and Zambales.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-
Morales said, “the repeated illegal
transfers of public funds to the NGO,
resulted in the quantifiable, pecuniary
losses to the government, thus
constituting undue injury within the
context of Section 3(e) of R.A. No.
3019,” or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act. n InterAksyon | Zony Esguerra,
News5 | October 31, 2017, 11:35 PM
NEWS November 2017 – No. 21 • UK & Europe Edition
per cent of all domestic workers in
Asia were entirely excluded from labor in 2007 and since the adoption of work as work, and ensure that their
protections, and only three per cent the convention on domestic workers laws and policies provide the same
enjoyed equal protection with other in 2011, progress has been made to protection as all other workers.
general workers. increase the protection of migrant
workers in ASEAN. The discussions It is time for all employers of
Another ILO report found out that at AFML have contributed to some of domestic workers to recognize that
globally, domestic work is the top sector these achievements. domestic workers are neither servants
where forced labor is found. Migrant nor “members of the family,” but
domestic workers are even more Gathered at the 10th AFML, senior workers who should have the same
vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, as officials from ministries of labor and rights as other workers.
they are highly dependent on recruiters other line ministries, workers and
and employers, work in isolation and employers representatives and civil It is time to renew the commitment
lack social networks. A recent ILO society actors from all ten ASEAN taken 50 years ago to collaborate for a
survey showed that migrant domestic Member States will discuss and adopt better future for all women and men. A
workers in two ASEAN countries work a set of recommendations to achieve future that realizes decent work for all,
on average 14 hours a day, only 40 per decent work for domestic workers. including domestic workers. n Tomoko
cent are given one day off per week and
the vast majority are paid below the It is time for all ASEAN Nishimoto, ILO Assistant Director-General and
minimum wage. governments to recognize domestic
Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific | October
Having a domestic worker who
looks after our children and elderly is 21, 2017, 8:05 AM
a necessity for many men and women
to pursue a career outside their homes.
According to projections, the demand
for domestic workers in ASEAN will
be rising due to population’s ageing,
lower fertility rates, women’s increasing
labour force participation and a decline
of multi-generational households.
Six year after the adoption of the
domestic workers’ convention, only
one ASEAN country, the Philippines,
has ratified the ILO’s convention on
Domestic Workers (No. 189), leaving
nine ASEAN member states to do so.
To be fair, since the founding of
ASEAN in 1967, since the first AFML
No Pinoy casualties in New
York truck attack: DFA
MANILA – The Department of as an “act of terror,” prompting the “Our hearts reach out to the families
Foriegn Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday international community to denounce of those who lost their lives in this tragic
said no Filipino has been reported the dastardly deed. incident in Manhattan,” he said. “We
among the casualties when a “The Philippines extends its deepest also pray for the swift recovery of those
suspect using a rented truck ran over sympathies and is one with the United who were injured.”
pedestrians in downtown Manhattan. States Government and the American The Philippine Consulate General
The attack, which left at least eight people in condemning this unspeakable in New York immediately issued an
people dead and 11 others injured in act of terror,” Foreign Affairs Secretary advisory for members of the Filipino
New York on Tuesday was described Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement. Community to stay away from the
A Home Depot truck which struck down scene of the incident at Chamber and
people on a bike path, killing several and West Streets in lower Manhattan.
injuring many more, is seen as New York
city first responders arrive at the crime Consul General Maria Theresa
scene in lower Manhattan in New York. Dizon-De Vega reported that police
Photo by Brendan McDermid
have already taken into custody the
driver of the vehicle after shooting and
wounding him following the incident
that took place near the World Trade
Center.
“We are in touch with the New York
Police Department and so far, we have
not received reports of any Filipino
among the dead or injured,” De Vega
said.
Meanwhile, she again reminded
Filipinos in the area to exercise
caution if they would still want to
participate in the annual Halloween
Parade scheduled near the scene
of the incident. n Joyce Ann Rocamora,
PNA | November 1, 2017, 4:44 PM