More than 80 percent of the 1.4 million domestic workers in the country have no benefits from Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG).
The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said this, citing the results of a survey that they and the Philippine Statistics Authority conducted last year.
"On average, 83 percent of domestic workers were not covered by any social welfare benefit," the DoLE's National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) said last week when they presented the results of the survey in an online forum.
The survey showed that 1,109,411 (79.2%) domestic workers don’t have SSS benefits; 1,130,382 (80.7%) have no PhilHealth benefits and 1,226,149 (87.6%) are not covered by Pag-IBIG benefits.
It also showed that more than half of the domestic workers, or 57 percent, are receiving other forms of benefits from their employers such as transportation fares (24%), loans without interest (22%), sick leave with pay (8%), vacation leave with pay (9%), birthday gift (45%) and personal items (44%).
DOLE's Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) Director Ma. Karina Perida-Trayvilla reminded employers that kasambahay, which are now categorized as formal sector workers, should be registered with SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-IBIG, and are entitled to a weekly 24-hour rest period, and annual service incentive leave with pay.
She underscored the importance of having a contract of employment or a written agreement between the kasambahay and their employers to specify the scope of work and benefits of the domestic worker.
The contract, Trayvilla added, should be deposited in the barangay which has the jurisdiction of the workplace and a report should be submitted to the nearest DOLE regional office to monitor the compliance of their employers with the law.
Kasambahays who are experiencing abuse or would like to report their employers for labor laws violations are urged to visit the nearest DOLE regional offices throughout the country or call the DOLE Hotline 1349.