ADUNA ba kay KATABANG

katabang-katuwang...katulong in tagalog but to be more politically correct, KASAMBAHAY, short for kasama sa bahay. To term it as Katulong is a depreciation to say the least. Although the BISAYA version is more acceptable compared to KATULONG.

SO let me use the term KASAMBAHAY for all the madla people out there reading this blog.
as the single kami nAPO muna, let me say "kami naman po muna" - from the Kasambahay.

They need our attention, let me enumerate:

1. They are not part of the labor force, thus not protected by the DOLE Provisions.


2. Since they are not part of the labor sector, then they are not included in the Wage INcreases that are supposedly accross the board!


3. They are an invisible sector, we do not raid houses that hire kasambahay and nor are they registered to any accrediting body. So how do we know that they are safeguarded from any form of abuse?


4. They are not protected with SSS/PHILHEALTH, some work repercussions require medical facilitation.would their income suffice?


5. Do we give them decent wages?to begin with do have provisions on the term "decent wage"


6. Do we have the right to ask them to work from 5AM in the morning until 11PM?


7. What if we put our Kasambahay to school, do we have still have to give them a salary?


8. What happens now if our Kasambahay due to negligence puts at risk or has already risks some valuable things in our home? Follow up questions, if we make them pay the total amount and we know for a fact that they cannot do so, are we allowed to put them into involuntary servitude?


9. To sum it all, we do not have a bible for the decent work conditions that our Kasambahays are entitled to.

And i say this is needed since we just cannot tolerate them being treated as second class citizens. Maybe if we just take time to consider the benefit to the Kasambahay and to the Employer if we set the perimeters, they we can all sit down and agree on something to answer the questions above.

I just feel bad that there are numerous abused Kasambahays that are practically unheard of in every side of the town. And although there are also Employers that are abused by Kasambahays as well, we cannot help but consider that the Kasambahays are the ones who cannot defend themselves, and sadly, who do not know any better...

Note: The Kasambahay Bill is being lobbied for more than 10 years now, still, it has not been approved. What could be more important than protecting our MARGINALIZED FILIPINO WOMEN AND CHILDREN??? you tell me.