Care for your kasambahays, register them in barangays

QUEZON CITY - SuenoThe spirit of love is still up in the air this February as Secretary Ismael ‘Mike’ D. Sueno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government hovers the welfare of domestic workers or kasambahays in the country.In a directive to local chief executives, Sueno urges them to ensure the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 10361 or Batas Kasambahay which requires every employer to register all domestic workers under their employment in the Registry of Domestic Workers in the barangay also called as Barangay Registration of Kasambahays. Kasambahays have a big role in keeping socioeconomic activities running. They take care of households and look after their employers’ children in order for their bosses to go to work or attend to their enterprise, he said. Their wellbeing ought to be taken cared of just like workers in the formal public and private sectors, he added.The DILG Secretary also called on all punong barangays through a directive to enact local ordinances in support of the Batas Kasambahay and to implement the Barangay Registration of Kasambahays in their area of jurisdiction. Registering kasambahays is both beneficial to kasambahays and their employers, he emphasized. I also encourage barangay officials to discuss your implementation of the Batas Kasambahay during the coming law-mandated conduct of Barangay Assembly Day this first semester of the year, which will be on March 25, he said.Under Batas Kasambahay, a domestic worker or kasambahay is any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship such as, but not limited toand general househelp, nursemaid or yaya , cook, gardener, or laundry person, but shall exclude any person who performs domestic work only occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis.The term does not include children who are under foster family arrangement, and are provided access to education and given an allowance incidental to education, i.e. baon , transportation, school projects and school activities.Barangay Kasambahay DeskIn July 2013, the DILG directed barangays to have Kasambahay Desks. Barangay chairpersons were ordered to devise a system to ensure the registration of all kasambahays in their barangays including an on-line registration through their official website or e-mail.The KR Form 1 and the Kontrata sa Paglilingkod sa Tahanan are available at the barangay and city or municipal Public Employment Service Office (PESO). Both forms are also downloadable at and//www.dilg.gov.ph www.dilg.gov.ph and and//www.dole.gov.ph www.dole.gov.ph .In case of termination of the contract, employers ought to immediately notify the Kasambahay Desk for updating purposes.The disclosure of information about the kasambahay and the employer by the barangay and the local PESO is subject to compliance with the requirements of RA No. 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012) and other existing laws, otherwise, violators shall be subjected to fine or imprisonment. ###