About 150 house helpers took a dayoff to join 6th Kasambahay Day on Sunday at the Grand Regal Hotel.
Melanie Jadulang of (DOLE) XI, said most of those who joined the activity are Alternative Learning System students who do not have time to do business with government agencies.
“They work while studying. Every Sunday ilang klase and then from Monday to Saturday trabaho sila,” Jadulang said.
The event served as a venue for the house helpers to process their memberships, insurance and avail of social services that government agencies provide them as the DOLE partnered with the Social Security System, Departments of Social Welfare and Development and Education, Home Development Mutual Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippine Information Agency and other agencies in conducting the activity.
They also participated in an orientation on how to protect their rights against abuse, harassment, violence, economic exploitation and performance of work that harms their physical and mental health.
The orientation aimed to promote their “rights at work including, but not limited to, abolition of child labor, elimination of all forms of forced labor, discrimination in employment and occupation, and trafficking in persons, especially women and children,” Jadulang added.
She added that her agency has reached out to house helpers in far-flung areas to join activities that promote their rights under Republic Act No. 10361, also known as “Domestic Workers Act” or “Batas Kasambahay.” “They should be aware of the laws so they would know what their rights are,” she said.
She added that the agency is organizing those house helpers in the region so they can collaborate with the agency in establishing key programs like those intended to improve their livelihood.
