STATEMENT OF SENATOR NANCY BINAY ON LABOR DAY

Today, we pay tribute to the working men and women who drive the cogs of the Philippine economy into the promising and resilient Southeast Asian prospect that it is now.

As before, I give my full praise to the modern-day working Filipina - an integral aspect of country's rising prosperity and progress.

For years, our workers have been calling for equality of rights, increases in their wages and for more benefits. Today, we still strive to fulfill these demands especially for Filipina workers who are still fighting for equal rights, benefits, and against discrimination and harassment.

I have filed several bills that aim to increase maternity leave benefits; the granting of one-day paid leave every month for pre-natal check-ups; training on women's rights and gender education in the workplace; and expanding the rights of kasambahays.

Our government, the private sector and the labor force are always working hard to empower the Filipino worker - where his every need is satisfied, when demands set by his employers are achieved and understood, and when his dignity, rights and life are always upheld.