Visayan forum hails Senate concurrence to int'l treaty for domestic workers
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 8 (PIA)-- Visayan Forum praised the Senate for its approval of the International Labor Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers during its August 6 session.
Visayas coordinator Romualdo Señeris of the Visayan Forum, and human rights awardee Ma. Cecilia Flores Oebanda jointly commended the Philippine Senate for concurring ILO 189.
Señeris said, “This is a historic moment for the Philippines as it signifies the start of better protection and improved working and living conditions for more than three million Filipino domestic workers inside the Philippines and even those who are working in other countries.”
With the Senate vote, the Philippines will now be the second country to formally ratify ILO Convention 189 after Uruguay. The Convention will enter into force as soon as PHL formally delivers the ratification instrument to ILO Geneva.
“Millions of domestic workers in the Philippines and all over the world have been waiting for this moment. They have been traditionally excluded from labor laws and other regulations protecting the rights of workers against abuse. It is high time that domestic workers get the recognition and the protection that they deserve,” stated Oebanda.
The Convention mandates ratifying ILO member countries to establish standards for decent wages, employment conditions, social protection coverage, and effective protection against forced labor, debt bondage, and other forms of abuse.
The Senate vote has been eagerly anticipated by the international community. The petition for the Philippine ratification to ILO Convention 189 has garnered more than 50,000 signatures from all over the world, through the efforts of anti-slavery group, Walk Free.
The VF said the unanimous vote brings the message of the Senate, loud and clear – domestic work is indeed decent work! Domestic Workers are not slaves.
Meantime, Oebanda also called for urgent approval of the Domestic Workers Act, pending the third and final reading at the House of Representatives. The Senate has already approved its version of the Bill since 2010. (mbcn/JCT-PIA 7, Negros Oriental)
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Efforts to amend smoke-free ordinance in Dumaguete fasttracked
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, August 8 (PIA) -- Smoke-free advocates are pushing for the amendment of the Smoke-Free Ordinance in Dumaguete City which is set to be enforced in all public places and government-owned buildings in the city on September 1, 2012.
In a press conference called by the city government Tuesday, Bernie Maniego of the Seventh-Day Adventist Health and Communication Center disclosed that they are pushing for Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria to issue an urgent appeal to the city council to fastrack the proposed amendments to the ordinance before it takes effect on Sept. 1.
“We are now in the process of amending the ordinance, changing the penalty of first-time offenders from reprimand only to a P100-fine,” said Maniego.
Maniego’s group along with the Framework Convention Alliance on Tobacco- Free Philippines have been working closely with local government units (LGUs) in Negros Oriental for the adoption of the smoke-free law.
The smoke-free ordinance in Dumaguete, which was passed in April 2011, mandates that penalty for first offense violators are reprimand and participation in an orientation the ill-effects of smoking.
The proposed amendment to replace the reprimand to a P100-fine will help effect a behavior change among smokers in the city which is the main goal of the ordinance, said Maniego.
During the presscon, City Administrator William Ablong said the ordinance will be strictly enforced on September 1.
“There will be no grace period. Violators will be arrested and penalties will be enforced,” said Ablong.
The city government earlier conducted two batches of training for the ordinance’s enforcers numbering around 100. They are composed of Task Force SAGARR members, barangay tanods, and police personnel.
City Councilor Manuel Arbas, one of the smoke-free ordinance’s authors, said the public should not only rely on the enforcers in the law’s implementation.
“Any person who witnessed a violation of the law can file a complaint with the task force,” he said in the same presscon.
To date, there are now only three remaining LGUs out of the total 25 in Negros Oriental that are yet to adopt a smoke-free ordinance. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Dumaguete invites smokers to join free cessation clinicSmoke-free ordinance to be enforced on Sept. 1
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug. 8 (PIA) -- The local government here is urging smokers to join a free smoking cessation clinic organized by the City Health Office. This is in line with the implementation of the smoke-free ordinance on Sept. 1, 2012.
City Administrator William Ablong said the cessation clinic is also mandated in the ordinance for smokers who are willing to quit their smoking habit.
“The clinic and the cessation program is already in place. But so far, nobody has signed up for it yet,” said Ablong.
He said Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria earlier issued a memorandum circular banning smoking in city government-owned buildings here.
With the law’s enforcement just a few weeks away, Ablong is hopeful that smokers will participate in the clinic to help them quit smoking.
The smoke-free ordinance declares public areas, including public transportation and government-owned facilities, around Dumaguete City as off-limits to smoking.
Around 100 enforcers coming from the 30 barangays here and police personnel have been deputized to enforce said ordinance after they completed two batches of trainings.
Ablong revealed that of the total enforcers, around 20 are smokers.
City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Sarah Talla said they will invite the smokers in the enforcement group to form the first batch of clients for the cessation clinic.
Dumaguete-based Philippine News Agency (PNA) Bueau Chief Judy Flores-Partlow, a smoker who has been cigarette-free for four months now, lauded the smoke-free ordinance.
Partlow started smoking at the age of 20. Four months ago, she decided to stop the habit.
With the city now banning smoking in public places starting next month, Partlow said she will be urging her sisters who smoke to stop their smoking habit to not only avoid violating the law but also to avoid smoke-related diseases.
Dr. Talla said the number of tobacco-related respiratory diseases caused by first-hand or second-hand smoking have been on the rise in Dumaguete City, particularly cases involving bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and pneumonia.
The city health officer added that the nebulizers at their clinic is overused now as more children are suffering from asthma, even those who come from families with no medical history of asthma.
Records show that 10 Filipinos die every hour due to tobacco-related diseases. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)