SENATE President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada hailed President Aquino for signing into law the landmark Batas Kasambahay before leaving for Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum.
“The Araw ng Kasambahay has finally come. After many years of languishing in the legislative mill for several Congresses, the Batas Kasambahay is now a reality,” Sen. Estrada said.
Section 39 of the proposed Batas Kasambahay states that “the date upon which the President shall approve this Domestic Workers Act shall be designated as the ‘Araw ng mga Kasambahay.’”
The Senate and the House of Representatives approved the bicameral conference committee report on November 26 and November 27, respectively.
Officially titled “An Act Instituting Policies for the Protection and Welfare of Domestic Workers,” the Batas Kasambahay establishes the labor rights and privileges of domestic workers in accordance to internationally-accepted standards.
It also increases the monthly minimum wage rates for domestic workers from Php800 to Php2,500 for those employed in the National Capital Region; from Php650 to Php2,000 for those in chartered cities and first-class municipalities; and from Php550 to Php1,500 for those in other municipalities.
Further, it entitles them coverage and membership to social security instruments, specifically the Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.
Meanwhile, Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara and San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada, two of the authors, also lauded the act of President Aquino as the law would promote and protect the rights of domestic workers by providing them huge benefits.
“We thank the President for signing this into law. This is a very vital measure to push the benefits of our kasambahay. We agreed to set a minimum wage for the domestic workers and after a year, we will leave it up to the wage boards to adjust the wages,” Angara, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education, stressed in a text message.
“I’m very thankful to President Aquino for his concern over the plight of household helps who have long been at the mercy of their respective employers,” Ejercito Estrada, vice chairman of the House committee on labor, said. With a report from Ryan Ponce Pacpaco
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