Senator Francis Tolentino on Thursday emphasized the importance of institutionalizing policies to protect the welfare of Filipino caregivers towards decent employment.

Recognizing the vital role of caregivers in national development, Tolentino said these policies must be enacted into law to maintain excellent and globally competitive standards for caregiver professional service.

“Caregivers must also be protected against abuse, harassment, violence, and economic exploitation,” he said after filing Senate Bill 1396 or the proposed “Caregivers Welfare Act of 2022.”

Under the bill, a caregiver will be assured of a salary that is not below the minimum wage, fixed working hours, overtime pay, as well as memberships in Social Security System (SSS), the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG).

It proposes that a caregiver’s work hours shall be based on the employment contract signed by the parties and the Labor Code.

The measure shall also ensure that household-based caregivers will be provided with basic necessities, such as three adequate meals a day and a humane sleeping arrangement.

Appropriate rest and assistance in case of illnesses and injuries sustained during the exercise of the caregiver’s duties and responsibilities without loss of benefits shall also be shouldered by the employer.

“Many countries, such as the United States, Canada, and those in the Middle East, Europe, Asian countries like Japan, and Korea prefer Filipino caregivers because of their unconditional and genuine care for their clients,” Tolentino said in his bill.

However, a study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute in July 2021 showed that caregivers in many countries in the world “are deeply undervalued and underpaid” and are usually working below the designated minimum wage under the law. (PNA)