DILG urges barangays to set registration system for kasambahays

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday urged barangays to institute a registration system for household workers in order to protect their rights.

In a statement, the DILG said it made the instruction after only 3,359 out of the 42,046 barangays nationwide have registered household helpers.

“We direct our Punong Barangays (PBs) to be more proactive in instituting a registration system for our helpers as it is critical to ensuring that they are accorded the full protection of the law,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.

“With the care and service they [kasambahays] provide to households, especially to parents and their children, domestic workers deserve safe and healthful working conditions,” he added.

According to the DILG, the low turnout for registration is indicative of noncompliance with the provisions of Republic Act  10361 or “Domestic Workers Act” or “Batas Kasambahay.”

Under this law,  punong barangays should work on the Registry of Kasambahay within their jurisdiction with each employer registering kasambahays under his or her employment.

The employer shall also enroll the household helper to the SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG, the DILG added.

Region V has the most number of compliant barangays with 627, followed by Region VI with 584, and Region VIII with 499. Most regions registered below 200 barangays, the DILG said.

Año also ordered city and municipal mayors to ensure that punong barangays are being compliant with the law.

As of June 7, the DILG has monitored that 32,902 kasambahays were registered with 28,149 barangays establishing their Kasambahay Desk and 28,074 barangays with designated Kasambahay Desk Officer.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA News