Three-term senator and senatorial candidate Loren Legarda (Photo taken before pandemic)
MANILA, Philippines— Senatorial aspirant Loren Legarda urged the national government to further study the specific needs of both local and overseas Filipino workers and the displaced workers due to the current crisis.
“May 1 is just a reminder for us to further strengthen our efforts to address the concerns of all Filipino workers and protect their fundamental rights. The celebration of Labor Day is a recognition of the important role that our workers play in sustaining the growth and recovery of our country,” Legarda cited in celebration of Labor Day.
Legarda also emphasized that a strong and consistent legislative agenda for Filipino workers overseas is needed as they continue to endure hardships while living and working abroad.
She further encouraged the government to focus on providing adequate legal assistance; repatriation programs; reintegration programs for displaced OFWs, including entrepreneurial opportunities, skills mapping and matching between areas vacated by OFWs; and potential alternative places for redeployment.
As a sponsor of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 189 and co-author of the Domestic Workers Act, Legarda renewed her call to acknowledge and appreciate the unpaid care and domestic work in the country.
“Aside from domestic workers, which is one of the lowest-paid workers and are usually subjected to poor working conditions such as longer hours of work but no overtime pay and lack of social benefits, we should also give importance to the current situation of unpaid care work in Filipino homes,” She said.
Legarda, co-author of the Magna Carta for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), also called for boosted efforts to empower MSMEs to provide more job opportunities and address unemployment. She affirmed that MSMEs programs should be sustained because, aside from generating employment opportunities and better incomes, MSMEs are also powerful platforms for promoting viable rural livelihoods, cultural preservation, socio-economic empowerment of indigenous peoples, and environmental protection.
“Marami sa ating mga kababayan ang nawalan ng trabaho at kabuhayan dulot ng epekto ng pandemya sa ekonomiya. Hindi natin maaaring ipagsawalang-bahala ang daing ng ating mga Pilipinong manggagawa na nawalan ng trabaho matapos magsara ang ilan sa mga industriya. Kaya ang isa sa maaari nating kasagutan ay paigtingin ang pagpapalakas ng ating mga MSMEs. Bigyan ng pagkakataon ang ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng kabuhayan para na rin magkaroon ng dagdag oportunidad sa trabaho,” Legarda said.
Legarda, whose Senate comeback was endorsed by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), has likewise stressed that the national gov’t should also have more significant efforts to bring in direct foreign investments to spur local labor demand.
“I salute our workforce for their sacrifices and significant contribution in helping our economy thrive amid the pandemic. As public servants, it is our responsibility to create opportunities for our people, address inequality, abuse, and efficiencies that hinder career development of our workforce,” the three-term Senator Said,
Legarda also authored Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and its expanded version, Anti-Child Labor Law, Kasambahay Law, Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Act, Barangay Kabuhayan Act, Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act, Green Jobs Act, and the JobStart Philippines Act, among others.