Tulfo berates SSS, PhilHealth & Pag-IBIG over kasambahay coverage compliance

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo slammed the very low compliance of Social Security System (SSS), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG for kasambahays' coverage.

Based on a 2019 joint survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), there are 1.4 million registered domestic workers.

Of these, only 6% or 84,190 kasambahays were enrolled by their employers in SSS while only 5% or 74, 858 were registered by same in PhilHealth. Worse, there were only 3.4% or 51, 579 house helps enrolled by their employers in Pag-IBIG.

This very low compliance irked Sen. Idol Raffy Tulfo.

Tulfo, Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Labor, stressed that these 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 was also upset due to the failure of barangays to implement the registration system for kasambahays, knowing that some employers are too busy to enroll their house help for said coverage or deliberately avoid doing so to avoid payments.

Notably, under the "Domestic Workers Act" or "Batas Kasambahay," every employer shall register a house help under his/her employment in the barangay where his/her residence is located. The Punong Barangay shall be responsible for the Registry of kasambahay within his/her jurisdiction.

Tulfo questioned why barangay officials managed to be very active on house-to-house campaigns during elections period but were unable to go door-to-door to survey households with kasambahays and ensure implementation of Batas Kasambahay.

Moreover, Tulfo also recommended removing the qualified theft punishment for kasambahays, which is being used by employers to pin down house helps seeking better treatment or complaining about work-related benefits.

In some cases, Tulfo said employers would get back at their kasambahays and avoid giving them proper treatment as mandated by the law by planting evidence pointing to a crime they did not commit, like stealing. Employers would later report it to the police to send innocent and voiceless kasambahays to jail.

Tulfo, kinalampag ang SSS, Philahealth at Pag-IBIG dahil sa mababang coverage compliance

Binatikos ni Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo ang napakababang compliance ng Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) at Home Development Mutual Fund o Pag-IBIG para sa coverage ng mga kasambahay.

Batay sa 2019 joint survey na isinagawa ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), mayroong 1.4 milyong rehistradong domestic worker.

Sa 1.4M, 6% o 84,190 kasambahay lamang ang na-enrol ng kanilang mga employer sa SSS habang 5% o 74, 858 lamang ang nakarehistro ng pareho sa PhilHealth. Ang malala pa, 3.4% o 51, 579 na tulong sa bahay lamang ang na-enroll ng kanilang mga amo sa Pag-IBIG.

Ang napakababang compliance na ito ang kinainit ng ulo ni Sen. Tulfo.

Binigyang-diin ni Tulfo, Vice Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Labor, na hindi sapat ang ginagawa ng mga ahensyang ito upang matiyak na ang mga employer sa bansa ay nirehistro ang kanilang kasambahay at binbayarang ang SSS, PhilHealth, at Pag-IBIG kontribusyon ng mga ito.

Nanggalaiti din si Tulfo dahil sa kabiguan ng mga barangay na ipatupad ang sistema ng pagpaparehistro para sa mga kasambahay, kahit alam nila na ang ilang mga employer ay masyadong abala upang i-enroll ang kanilang kasambahay para sa nasabing coverage o sadyang iniiwasan gawin ito upang maiwasan ang mga pagbabayad.

Sa ilalim ng "Domestic Workers Act" o "Batas Kasambahay," ang bawat employer ay dapat irehistro ang kanyang kasambahay sa barangay kung saan siya naninirahan. Ang Punong Barangay ay responsable para sa Registry ng kasambahay sa loob ng kanyang nasasakupan.

Kinuwestiyon ni Tulfo kung bakit aktibo ang mga opisyal ng barangay mag bahay-bahay noong panahon ng halalan ngunit hindi nagawang mag-door-door upang magsurvey sa mga household na may mga kasambahay at matiyak ang pagpapatupad ng Batas Kasambahay.

Bukod dito, inirekomenda rin ni Tulfo na tanggalin ang qualified theft na parusa sa pagnanakaw para sa mga kasambahay, na ginagamit ng mga employer para paginitan at idiin sila sa kasalanang di nila ginawa.

Sa ilang mga kaso, sinabi ni Tulfo na ang mga employer ay tinataniman pa ng mga ebidensya ang kasambahay para madiin sa kasalanang hindi nito ginawa, halimbawa ay pagnanakaw. Pagtapos ay isusumbong ito sa pulisya para ipakulong ng walang kalaban-laban.