Philippines

Philippines

The Government of the Philippines established Republic Act 8042 to affirm the fundamental equality of women in building the country. Through this act, the government is implementing a policy to recognise the contributions of women migrant workers overseas and their particular vulnerabilities. This includes the use of gender-reponsive criteria in policy planning related to migrant workers and the composition of political bodies tasked to oversee migrant welfare. It also includes the establishment of a resource centre for migrant workers to give training and services in gender-sensitive programs and activities. These changes will work to assist the special needs of women migrant workers.

Theme: Violence and Vulnerabilities

GCM Objective: 7, 14

The Government of the Philippines, working with the Trade Union Congress (TUCP) and various NGOs, is providing better protection for migrant workers, especially domestic workers, through gender-responsive data collection. TUCP collects data and addresses issues related to women migrant workers, such as sexual violence and health. These groups have also created a centre for migrant workers returning to and leaving the Philippines, including giving training sessions informing migrants of their rights and giving foreign contacts.

Theme: Migration Data and Registration

GCM Objective: 1, 15

The Government of the Philippines has developed a large network of labour offices in foreign countries to administer and enforce labour migrant protections, especially for women. There are currently 34 offices providing services to labour migrants around the world. These offices develop infrastructure to provide protection for migrant workers abroad.

Theme: Social Protection, Rights and Services

GCM Objective: 7, 14, 15

The Government of the Philippines adopted the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act to guarantee protection of migrant workers, especially women, through certification, penalising illegal recruitment and providing free access to skill-building and livelihood programs. The Philippines is working on various fronts for the protection of migrant workers, especially domestic workers, including through deploying female personnel to overseas labour offices and installing gender focal point officers at its consulates and embassies.

Theme: Violence and Vulnerabilities

GCM Objective: 7, 14

Republic Act No. 9710 of the Philippines which is known as the Magna Carta of Women is a human rights law enacted in 2008 “that seeks to eliminate discrimination through the recognition, protection, fulfilment and promotion of the rights of Filipino women. Chapter V of the law provides for the rights and empowerment of vulnerable groups including women migrant workers. The law has put institutional mechanisms in place to ensure gender-responsiveness in all of government’s planning and implementation of activities, including the appointment of Gender Focal Point Officers in Philippine Embassies and Consulates; designation of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) as the primary policy-making and coordinating body for women and gender equality concerns under the Office of the President; gender and development budget for local government units; setting up of violence against women’s; and comprehensive health care services.

Theme: Social Protection, Rights and Services

GCM Objective: 7, 14, 15

Towards implementing the Magna Carta of Women, the Philippines government has legally designated the Commission on Human Rights as the Gender Ombud, specifically tasked to make guidelines and mechanisms that will facilitate access of women to legal remedies under the Act and related laws, and enhance the protection and promotion of the rights of women, especially marginalized women. In connection with the mandate of the Commission as the Gender Ombud, the NHRI is establishing a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Observatory, which shall be a research and advocacy hub with the aim of collecting and analyzing information on gender based violence, monitoring the progress of efforts addressing GBV, pursuing research and advocacy agenda towards improved policies, mechanisms, and access to justice for victim-survivors of GBV.

Theme: Violence and Vulnerabilities

GCM Objective: 7

The Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) continuously strives to address the particular vulnerabilities and situations of the predominantly female migrating spouses or partners of foreign nationals, in every stage of the migration cycle, such as pre-departure preparedness and marriage migrants’ integration to the host country. The CFO offers country specific pre-departure orientation services, such as (a) Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP) for marriage migrants; (b) Peer Counseling Program for youth migrants; (c) Country Familiarization Seminar (CFS) for Au Pair Participants; (d) Predeparture Orientation Seminar for US-bound Exchange Visitor Program participants; (e) Community Education Program; (f) Fight Against Human Trafficking; and (f) Financial Literacy Program.

Theme: Violence and Vulnerabilities

GCM Objective: 3, 7

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