Position Paper of CTUHR and WOMEN WISE3 in support of House Resolution 1167 and 1404 (Ratification by the Philippine Government of ILO C190)

October 19, 2021

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) and its daughter organization, Women Workers in Struggle for Employment, Empowerment and Emancipation (Women WISE3) support the House Resolution 1167 and 1404 calling for the ratification of the ILO Convention 190 entitled Violence and Harassments Convention, 2019 for the following reasons:

  1. That DOLE Sec. Silvestre Bello III, now the ILO chair for the government group—and other government representatives attended the ILO 108th Session held on the 100th year of ILO — which approved the C190. The said session was also attended by various representatives of trade unions and employers, which like their government equally approved the passage of C190.
  2. That ratification of C190 constitutes a credible commitment made by the government representatives at the ILO as it provides a more comprehensive and action-oriented legal framework to assist draft legislation and regulations; C190 tackles concerns of preventing, addressing and eliminating violence and harassment at all workplaces; it meets public needs in tackling workplace violence. The C190 also addresses the concerns of workers travelling to and coming from work in the wee hours of the night or morning who become victims of various crimes along the way.
  3. That ratification of C190 as the good representative had said in his Resolution will support, if not strengthen, the existing national and special laws that protect workers. It strengthens the provision in the 1987 Constitution and Philippine Labor Code, putting primacy on labor. No one as he said, and we agree, would like to see our workers who are so important in our nation building to feel harassed in their work, sexually, mentally or physically or bring economic harm to workers and their families. Violence negatively affects not only the workers and their families but also the economy of the country as workers lost their focus on their work and other productive endeavors. 
  4. Specifically, the ratification of C190 will complement the protection accorded by DO 178-17 or Safety and Health of Workers who by Nature of their jobs remain standing like the machine operators, salesladies and the like, and particularly for women workers like the RA7877 or Anti Sexual Harassment Act, the Safe Spaces Act, the provisions on women workers of  Marna Carta of Women, etc. It will also address the concerns of women workers who are treated unfairly in their work simply because they are women, even if they are performing the same job and functions as their male counterparts.
  5. Therefore, we reiterate our support for House Resolution Nos. 1167 and 1404 calling for the ratification by the Philippine government of ILO C190, as the convention does not only complement and strengthen national laws giving protection to our workers, but it is also in concurrence with international human and labour rights instruments that the Philippines has adopted and ratified.

*The Position paper can be accessed here:

https://ctuhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CTUHR-WW3-POSITION-PAPER-on-C190-1.pdf