Recollection on Informal Sector Advocacy To Address Invisibility

NSO Launched the Result of Informal Sector Survey 2008

      Susanita Tesiorna, seated at the center with Olive Parilla of PATAMABA, Rosalina Funtanares of Manila Area Sectoral Alliance, Roserel Virtudazo, all Council Members of the NAPC-Workers in the Informal Sector Council and Leopoldo Resmundo of the Development Bank of the Philippines posed souvenir picture during the NSO presentation of the result of the IS Survey.

         The advocacy for statistics for the Philippine Informal Sector started in 2002 under the stewardship of Susanita Tesiorna as the Sectoral Representative of NAPC-Workers in the Informal Sector and the Department of Labour.  It was funded by the UNDP.  The multisectoral consultation workshops in the preparation of the survey questionnaires was participated by the National Government Agencies (undersecretary to Secretary level), private sector, trade unions and of course, the representatives of various organizations in the informal sector.

       The survey questionnaires were pilot tested in Manila.  It waited longer time until the survey got funded.  It is hoped that better policies, government programs,  can best address the issues the sector is confronted like statistical invisibility, voice and representation in the government's decision-making bodies, lack of access to productive resources such as credit, training, capital and market and lack of access to social protection such as Phil Health, SSS, and other indigenous insurance schemes.

       It is expected also that the survey will bring in more responsive projects to be able to have the informal sector

Please visit the NSO website for details.