Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz is convinced that fellow Filipinos should be the first ones to respect the kasambahay or househelp.
“We believe Filipinos should be the first to accord our kasambahay the respect they deserve pursuant to the time-honored truism, ‘Charity begins at home,’” she said in a statement.
The DOLE chief added, “This is proper as we ourselves demand for decent work and fair and equal treatment for the thousands of Filipinos working overseas as household service workers. Let us remember that treating kasambahay with dignity is not a privilege they should earn, but a right they deserve.”
Baldoz issued the statement in the midst of a controversy regarding a special menu of an exclusive resort called “yaya meal” which is served to a kasambahay.
“The news that broke out this Easter weekend involving a kasambahay being treated as a second-class person in an exclusive luxurious resort could be considered discriminatory act, but not in the context of labor laws and social legislation,” she said.
However, the DOLE head noted that the incident could not be considered as violation of labor laws since it only involved a business establishment and its guest, but it shows how the society look down on kasambahay.
Manila Bulletin
