Tulfo laments failure of LGUs to implement ‘registration system’ for kasambahays

Sen. Raffy T. Tulfo during one of the Senate hearings. Senate PRIB file photo / Voltaire F. Domingo

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Raffy Tulfo on Thursday lamented the failure of Philippine local government units to implement the registration system for kasambahays.

This, after he bared the very low provision of Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-ibig coverage for domestic helpers in the country.

“[T]hese agencies are not doing enough to ensure that employers in the country have registered and have been paying the SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG  contributions of their kasambahays,” he said in a statement.

Citing a 2019 survey by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Tulfo  revealed that out of 1.4 million registered domestic workers, only 6 percent were enrolled in SSS; 5 percent in PhilHealth; and 3.4 percent in Pag-ibig.

READ:Barangay officials prodded to bolster implementation of Kasambahay Law

Tulfo was upset that barangays failed to implement a registration system for domestic helpers, knowing that some employers are too busy or purposefully avoid enrolling their house help for stated coverages to avoid payments.

He also questioned why barangay officials managed to be active on house-to-house campaigns during elections period but lacked door-to-door surveys to ensure Batas Kasambahay’s implementation.

READ: Employers get creative to evade kasambahay law

Moreover, Tulfo suggested removing qualified theft punishment for kasambahays, which he claimed employers use to discourage houseworkers from seeking better treatment or filing complaints about work-related benefits. Harold Hernandez, INQUIRER.net trainee

JPV