TUCP files bill giving benefits to street vendors, drivers, tailors, others

A new bill seeks to protect and give benefits to street vendors and workers who are part of the informal economy. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A worker’s party-list group has filed a bill before the House of Representatives that aims to protect and give benefits to street vendors and workers who are part of the informal economy.

The Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP) said in a statement released Monday that it has filed House Bill No. 6182 proposing a “Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy” that aims to help “street vendors, tricycle and jeepney drivers, garment tailors and sewers, pastry-makers, jewelry, handicrafts and ready-to-wear direct selling.”

“Informal economy workers can be found in every sector of our economy, either in production, commerce, agriculture, trade and services,” TUCP said.

The TUCP, citing data from the National Statistics Office, said that as of 2005 the informal economy “accounted for one-third of the country’s non-agricultural Gross Domestic Product and their share of employment was estimated at 17 million.”

TUCP Representative Raymond Mendoza, who is the main author of the bill, said that “these informal workers’ are the most vulnerable to exploitation and subject to poor working conditions specifically safe and healthy standards.”

Mendoza said that informal workers are “victimized by kotong [and] abuses” and they do not have social protection. “They also lack access to needed capital and technology,” he added.

“The situation of the informal sector workers’ can be remedied if only they will be included in the protective scope of the laws and subsequent regulations,” Mendoza said.

TUCP said that the bill aims to “establish an institutional mechanism at the national and local level” to improve “efforts in sustaining the growth and viability of the informal sector.”

It added that the bill will uplift the workers and their interests by allowing the appropriate government agencies to respond to their needs and allocate resources for them.

“It is about time that our workers in the informal economy be given due recognition and afforded full protection by the state considering their significant contribution in our national economy,” Mendoza said.

“We need to make sure that workers in the informal economy are workers and should be afforded with equal rights and recognition by law. It is imperative that appropriate programs and services be extended to them,” he said. - Matikas Santos @MSantosINQ INQUIRER.net

House approves creation of Philippine Trade Representative Office

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill creating the Philippine Trade Representative Office which is principally responsible for monitoring and maintaining a cohesive and coherent trade policy vis-a -vis the country's national interest.

House Bill 5977, authored by Reps. Lorenzo Tañada III (4th District, Quezon), Henry Pryde Teves (3rd District, Negros Oriental) and Karlo Alexei Nograles (1st District, Davao City), aims to ensure greater accountability of trade negotiators with regard to trade and investment agreements.

Tañada said the Trade Office shall lead, direct, formulate and coordinate government agencies towards formulating coherent and cohesive policies, positions and measures and conduct regular stakeholders' consultations with respect to international trade and investment relations and negotiations.

"The creation of the Trade Office will beef up the country's negotiating capacity by building up databases, trade intelligence work, having solid research analysts and a legal team," Tañada said.

Teves said the Trade Office will put in place mandatory consultative mechanisms for greater participation of the private sector as well as civil society organizations in trade negotiations.

"Over the years, the Philippines has entered into 37 Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements, 38 Bilateral Agreements and other multilateral and regional trade agreements while other agreements are still in the process of negotiations. With the potential increase in the number of trade negotiations, it is imperative that the Philippines is equipped with the necessary resources and capability to engage in all trade discussions," Teves said.

Nograles said the Trade Office will provide closer coordination between the Philippine Trade Representative, the various departments involved and Congress.

"Congress will be involved in formulating a negotiating mandate before any negotiations take place," Nograles said.

Under the measure to be known as the "Charter of the Philippine Trade Representative Office," the Trade Office shall be headed by the Philippine Trade Representative who shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.

The bill provides that the Trade Office shall negotiate trade and investment agreements on the basis of the Philippine Constitution and other laws, and will represents the country in all international trade negotiations.

Under the bill, the Tariff and Related Matters Committee (TRMC) together with the Technical Committee on World Trade Organization (WTO) Matters shall continue to function for six months until the Office of the Philippine Trade Representative is set up whichever comes earlier, after which they shall cease to function.

Co-authors of the measure are Reps. Cesar Jalosjos (3rd District, Zamboanga del Norte), Albert Raymond Garcia (2nd District, Bataan), Joseph Emilio Abaya (1st District, Cavite), Arthur Defensor, Jr. (3rd District, Iloilo), Jorge Almonte (1st District, Misamis Occidental), Ma. Amelita Calimbas-Villarosa (Lone District, Occidental Mindoro), Mary Mitzi Cajayon (2nd District, Caloocan City), Salvador Escudero III (1st District, Sorsogon), Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. (3rd District, Pampanga), Emil Ong (2nd District, Northern Samar), Erico Aumentado (2nd District, Bohol), Florencio Flores, Jr. (2nd District, Bukidnon), Emerenciana de Jesus (Party-list, Gabriela), Jesus Sacdalan (1st District, North Cotabato), Teddy Casiño (Party-list, Bayan Muna), Pedro Pancho (2nd District, Bulacan), Deogracias Ramos, Jr. (2nd District, Sorsogon), Agapito Guanlao (Party-list, Butil), Guillermo Romarate, Jr. (2nd District, Surigao del Norte), Maria Evita Arago (3rd District, Laguna), Arnel Ty (Paty-list, LPGMA), Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City), Scott Davies Lanete, M.D. (3rd District, Masbate), Romeo Jalosjos, Jr. (2nd District, Zamboanga Sibugay), Pastor Alcover, Jr. (Party-list, ANAD), Rodolfo Antonino (4th District, Nueva Ecija), Rodel Batocabe (Party-list, Ako Bicol), Alfredo Garbin, Jr. (Party-list, Ako Bicol), Danilo Ramon Fernandez (1st District, Laguna), Rodolfo Valencia (1st District, Oriental Mindoro), Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David (4th District, Manila), Anthony Rolando Golez (Lone District, Bacolod City), Cesar Sarmiento (Lone District, Catanduanes), Jocelyn Limkaichong (1st District, Negros Oriental), Fernando Gonzalez (3rd District, Albay), Henedina Abad (Lone District, Batanes), Cresente Paez (Party-list, COOP-NATCCO), Joel Roy Duavit (1st District, Rizal), Jerry Treñas (Lone District, Iloilo City), Pedro Acharon, Jr. (1st District, South Cotabato and General Santos City), Irvin Alcala (2nd Dsitrict, Quezon), Teoderico Haresco, Jr. (Party-list, Ang Kasangga), Elmer Panotes (2nd District, Camarines Norte), Angelo Palmones (Party-list, AGHAM), Nur-Ana Sahidulla (2nd District, Sulu), Ben Evardone (Lone District, Eastern Samar), Victor Yu (1st District, Zamboanga del Sur), Paolo Javier (Lone District, Antique), Raymond Democrito Mendoza (Party-list, TUCP), Rommel Amatong (2nd District, Compostela Valley), Jim Hataman-Salliman (Lone District, Basilan), Jonathan Cabilao-Yambao (1st District, Zamboanga Sibugay), Vincent Crisologo (1st District, Quezon City), Rolando Andaya, Jr. (1st District, Camarines Sur), Ma. Angelica Amante-Matba (2nd District, Agusan del Norte), Antonio Alvarez (1st District, Palawan), Florencio Garay (2nd District, Surigao del Sur), David Kho (Party-list, Senior Citizens), Josefina Joson (1st District, Nueva Ecija), Wilfrido Mark Enverga (1st District, Quezon), Nicanor Briones (Party-list, Agap), Peter “Sr. Pedro” Unabia (1st District, Misamis Oriental), Czarina Umali (3rd District, Nueva Ecija), Randolph Ting (3rd District, Cagayan), Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo (1st District, Lanao del Norte), Tomas Osmeña (2nd District, Cebu City), Evelyn Mellana (2nd District, Agusan del Sur), Joseph Victor Ejercito (Lone District, San Juan City), Jeffrey Ferrer (4th District, Negros Occidental), Rene Relampagos (1st District, Bohol), Teddy Baguilat, Jr. (Lone District, Ifugao), Franklin Bautista (2nd District, Davao del Sur), Kimi Cojuangco (5th District, Pangasinan), Ronald Cosalan (Lone District, Benguet), Joaquin Carlos Rahman Nava (Lone District, Guimaras), Gabriel Luis Quisumbing (6th District, Cebu), Herminia Roman (1st District, Bataan), Victor Ortega (1st District, La Union), Juan Ponce-Enrile, Jr. (1st District, Cagayan), Augusto Boboy Syjuco (2nd District, Iloilo) and Pedro Romualdo (Lone District, Camigun). - Lorelei V. Castillo, MRS-PRIB