1 M kasambahay still without social protection

MANILA, Philippines - Almost three years after the implementation of the Kasambahay Law, over a million domestic helpers are still without social protection, a group said yesterday.

Sonny Matula, Federation of Free Workers president, said the government is having difficulty compelling employers to register their domestic helpers with the Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.

The Kasambahay Law, Republic Act 10361, requires the registration of domestic workers with social protection institutions, but Matula said it still far from being achieved.

“There are a lot of commendable efforts directed at promoting decent work for domestic workers, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Matula said.

From an estimated two million domestic workers only around 120,000 are registered with SSS; 60,000 with PhilHealth; and 25,000 or so with Pag-IBIG. 

“Social protection coverage of domestic workers is problematic. These workers are losing out on the opportunity to provide themselves a safety net in case of accidents and pension when they retire,” Matula said. 

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), on the other hand, said it and the Department of the Interior and Local Government are trying to fasttrack the registration of domestic helpers at the barangay level and developed information and education materials that are ready for dissemination.

DOLE also launched its e-learning guide on the law on its website to inform employers on the salient features of RA 10361.