Government Programmes in Philippines - Working Conditions

Action for Home-based Women Piece-rate Workers

In early the 1980s, the Bureau of Women and Young Workers, part of the Department of Labor and Employment, implemented the Action Research to Promote Organization Among Women Rate Workers in the Philippines, an inter-country project to assist in the improvement of the working and living conditions of all women workers who were outside the framework of protection and rights provided by law and official policy.

Search for the Recognition of Outstanding Firms for Working Women

In 1990, the Bureau of Women and Young Workers launched the "Search for the Recognition of Outstanding Firms for Working Women" project. It aimed to give due recognition to establishments which gave exemplary benefits to women workers and thus motivate similar measures in other companies.

Women in Government Service (WINGS)

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has undertaken the programme Women in Government Service (WINGS). This is one of the CSC’s flagship programmes which aims to promote an environment supportive of women’s concerns in government bureaucracy through measures for improving working conditions, preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, career advancement and advocacy.

Improvement of working conditions is subsumed under general policies on reasonable working conditions in the public sector (CSC Memorandum Circular No. 30, Series 1994) and on flexible working hours (CSC Memorandum Circular No. 14, Series 1989). Maternity leave was modified to allow women the option to return to work before expiration of the mandated 2-month leave without refunding maternity benefits. In 1989, the CSC also established a Day Care Center for employees’ children where the play-study method is used. Later a Breastfeeding station was added. The CSC also adopted Memorandum Circular No. 41, Series 1998, which entitles married contractual employees to the same maternity leave benefits as regular employees.

One of the CSC’s flexible working arrangements is part-time employment, which allows employees the opportunity to balance their role as workers and mothers.