ROXAS CALLS ON DFA TO ADOPT CLEAR RULES ON HIRING OF "KASAMBAHAYS" BY OVERSEAS PERSONNEL

Senator Mar Roxas called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to adopt clear and uniform rules and standards in the employment of Filipino maids by all government personnel posted abroad.

"There must be a uniform contract stipulating a salary of not less than US$400 a month, with stipulated number of days off in a week, and an assurance of adequate food and decent quarters. Violations of this contract by civil servants posted abroad must be the subject of administrative sanctions and should be submitted to the Commission on Appointments as part of our documentary requirements," Roxas, a CA member, said.

The senator suggested that every contract of a domestic helper hired by a Filipino diplomat must be registered with and countersigned by the personnel office of the department. He noted that not only ambassadors but also the attaches of different agencies are permitted to hire domestic helpers to look after their household and children overseas.

"The adoption of fair and transparent procedures in the hiring of Filipino maids by embassy personnel regardless of rank will redound to the protection of both the diplomat and his or her kasambahay," Roxas said.

The senator noted that the controversy surrounding a case filed by Marichu Suarez Baoanan, a Filipino maid who was employed for three months by Philippine Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Lauro Baja and his wife, Norma, could have been prevented had the DFA been more clear, assertive, and transparent with its hiring policies in relation to domestic helpers. Roxas said that regardless of who is telling the truth, the lesson of the story is clear: the universal principles of decent work apply to all.

"When a Filipino domestic helper is offered a job by a foreign employer, that employer must strictly adhere to the policies of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. And when she suffers abuse or is maltreated by her employer, our embassy becomes her first place of refuge. In that sense, we can not have a set of standards for foreign employers and none at all for Filipino diplomats because this affects the confidence of our own workers in the objectivity, humanity, and professionalism of our own Foreign Service," Roxas pointed out.

The senator also stressed however that the protection given should conform to the labor laws of the country where the diplomat is assigned.

Roxas called on the DFA to act fast and give a timeframe for drawing up rules on the matter, so as to assure domestic helpers of their safety.