Labor Committee of the House of Representatives set for the MACWIE

 





From right: Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, Rep. Emil Ong, the Committee
 Secretary, hidden is Hon. Rep. Salvador H. Escudero III and
Hon. Rep. Dan Fernandez. 







A photo of the historic day for the workers in the informal economy in the Philippines.



          The Labor Committee of the House of Representatives held its Pre-Labor Committee Meeting on the Magna Carta for the Workers in the Informal Employment and Magna Carta for the Workers in the Informal Sector which is filed in this 15th Congress.  The Honorable Congressmen, authors of the three (3) bills on file presented the salient features of the respective bills except Hon. Lorenzon "Erin" Tanada as he was participating in the Committee on Justice Meeting on the Gutierrez impeachment. The HB 768 , "An Act Providing for a Magna Carta of Workers In Informal Employment" is the consolidated version of the bills filed by Hon. Ramon "Dan" S. Fernandez, Hon. Huan Edgardo "Sonny" M.  Angara and Hon. Lorenzo "Erin" Tanada III. 

          Hon. Rep. Salvador H.  Escudero III also filed HB No. 3014 or an act that shall be known as the "Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Sector" while Hon. Rep. Emmeline Y. Aglipay filed HB No. 4306 to be known as Magna Carta for Informal Sector Workers. 

          Inspite that there are three (3) bills on file, the advocates such as the MAGCAISA, ESCR and ALLWIES were all hopeful as the Honorable Congressmen pronounced also their time frame of having the Magna Carta passed at the end of this year or in this 15th Congress.  It was also agreed in this meeting that TWG be created immediately and Hon. Representative Mikey Arroyo who manifested his interest as Co-Author suggested to finish the consolidated version of the Bill before this session ends.  It was also agreed as proposed by the advocates to create a sub-TWG to help the Committee Secretariat.  The sub-TWG agreed afterwards to hold its meeting on March 12, 2011 to draft the consolidated version to be submitted to the Committee Secretariat. All authors presented the salient features of respective bills and one notable expression of dedication to the sector was of Rep. Dan Fernadez as he quoted : "Those who have less in life should have more in laws".

         The Committee meeting was first chaired by Hon. Rep.  Emil Ong and later by Hon. Rep. Jayvee Ejercito.  Each resource persons invited were called to speak by Hon. Ejercito, all of them praying for the legislation of the Magna Carta for the protection and development of the informal sector or workers in the informal economy.  When Susanita Tesiorna took her turn of speaking, she only requested that at the Committee Level, the National Statistics Office and the National Statistics and Coordination Board be invited to present the Philippine definition of the informal sector and the statistics as per NSO survey 2008. Instead, she talked more about the history of the Magna Carta relating the processes to respective Representatives with their parents like Mayor Guia Gomez and Pres. Erap Estrada, Sen. Chez  Escudero, Rep. Bellaflor Angara Castillo and Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.  Ms. Tesiorna, President of ALLWIES, mentioned TESDA and BWSC representatives as the witnesses to the democratic sectoral processes of the things mentioned.  After her talkies, Hon. Escudero responded by saying that they are flattered and that they don't want the legislation of the bill be passed on to the grandchildren. The meeting was so light, a very good sign for the advocates and the legislators.  Other advocates present were the MAGCAISA members, ESCR, UP. Dean Rene Ofreneo, HOMENET-Phils. represented by Prof. Inday Ofreneo.

 

Susanita "Babes" Tesiorna giving
history of the Magna Carta.

 

From left :  Elizabeth Angsioco of the
Democratic Socialist Women of the Phils.,
ALMANA, Susanita Tesiorna, ACIW
and Resureccion Lao of the ESCR