Social Protection for the Informal Sector

[Jorge V. Sibal]

What's New
Homenet Southeast Asia Joins a Conference-Workshop on Social
Protection for the Informal Sector

Guided by the theme Advancing OSH and Other Forms of Social Protection
in the Informal Sector, Homenet Southeast Asia was one of the
convenor-sponsor organizations in a Conference-Workshop held at the
School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR) Auditorium,
University of the Philippines, Diliman on July 13-14, 2007.

In its capacity as the voice of homeworkers in Southeast Asia, Homenet
SEA pushed for the social protection concerns of the informals by
asking the cooperation of governments in the region. Other
participating organizations were ACIW (Association of Construction and
informal Workers of the Philippines), which has been promoting a
national program of upgrading jobs in the construction industry; AMRC
(Asia Monitor Resource Center), which is observing Asia-wide its 30th
Year through a series of awareness-raising programs on various labor
concerns; FairTrade Alliance (Philippines), which seeks the extension
of basic protection to all workers as part of economic fairness and
justice; U.P. SOLAIR, which is observing in July its annual 'SOLAIR
Month', and LO-FTF, a Danish union initiative in support of poverty
reduction and decent jobs in developing economies.

The objectives of the said undertaking were: 1) to give a Philippine
and Asian overview of the state of OSH and social protection in the
informal sector, especially OSH concerns of the construction and
home-based workers; 2) to identify possible and feasible policy and
program responses to the social protection challenge which
governments, industrial relations (IR) actors; and 3) informal sector
organizations/NGOs may adopt, and to outline practical steps towards
the development of a Magna Carta of social protection and health and
safety for the informals in the Philippines and Asia.

On opening day, messages of welcome were delivered by Dean Jorge V.
Sibal, UP SOLAIR, J Alibone Naboya, Programme Officer, Asian Desk,
LO-FTF, and Senator Wigberto E. Tanada, Lead Convenor, Fair Trade
Alliance, who emphasized full support towards "full employment and
equality of employment opportunities for all" as embodied in Section
3, Article 13, of the Philippine Constitution.

This was followed by a panel discussion on Pressing OSH and Social
Protection Concerns in the Informal Sector, composed of the following
resource persons - Maynardo Palarca, Association of Construction and
Informal Workers, (discussing ACIW's initiatives and program
strategies in the context of issues and needs of informal workers);
Apo Leong, Asia Monitor and Resource Center (providing analytical
insight on the scale of OSH problems in workplaces in Asia); Wilson
Tiu, FairTrade, (discussing how fair trade can improve the plight of
the informals); Rosalinda Pineda Ofreneo, Regional Coordinator,
Homenet Southeast Asia, (providing analytical discussion on the
initiatives of homeworkers and informal groups towards advancing OSH
concerns in the sector); and Dean Jorge Sibal, UP SOLAIR, (discussing
the promotion of labor protection in the informal sector through
various labor standards), with Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo, UP SOLAIR, as
moderator.

The afternoon session, facilitated by the Center for Labor Justice, UP
SOLAIR, was devoted to a workshop on various issues surrounding the
informal sector such as social protection and occupational safety and
health.

Workshop on the Magna Carta for the Informals was scheduled on the
second day, July 14. Activities in the morning consisted of an
Overview of the Workshop Process by Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo, UP SOLAIR;
Discussion on Standard Setting with Hanna Tubelonia, Division Chief,
OSHC- DOLE and Atty. Glenda Litong, ESCR-Asia, on the topic The
Formal-Informal Divide: Feasibility of OSH standards for informals
(both resource persons provided analytical discussions on the
provisions and limitations of OSH standards, current OSH
programs/campaigns and current OSHC interventions, with some
recommendations to further maximize informal sector gain, realizing
that OSH makes good business sense); and Social Protection Experiences
of Other Countries, with discussants Dr. Donna Doane, Homenet SEA
(Southeast Asia and South Asian social protection experiences
presented by Dr. Rosalinda Ofreneo), Apo Leong, AMRC (discussing the
basic rights for all workers, thus, magnifying the status of illegal
workers in the context of accessing legal protection); and Melisa
Serrano, UP SOLAIR (discussing the issues and concerns culled from
country experiences, giving emphasis to "organization", as that which
can give voice and "formality" to the informals in terms of accessing
social security benefits).

In the afternoon was a workshop session on the proposed Magna Carta
for the Informal Sector, with the special features of the Magna Carta
Bill presented by Josephine Parilla, representing PATAMABA and Homenet
Philippines; the matrix of features of the Construction Bill presented
by ACIW and from PHILCIDA, a proposed "Act to Strengthen the
Construction Industry". All the presentations elicited lively
discussions among the participants, which also spurred the formation
of a Technical Working Committee, whose role was not only to document
workshop proceedings but to also ensure that all comments and
suggestions from concerned subsectors pertinent to the proposed Magna
Carta Bill are systematically put together. The two day forum was
adjourned by Dean Jorge V. Sibal, UP SOLAIR, who also delivered the
closing message.

Source: Homenet South East Asia, Feb. 2007,
http://www.homenetseasia.org/new_homenetjoins2007.html , viewed- Aug.
31, 2007