ILO drives inclusive social protection for informal workers in agriculture, waste management

MANILA (ILO News) - The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the local governments of Quezon City and Del Carmen, Siargao Island initiated a pilot training of its new Social Protection Guide for Informal Sector Workers.

The comprehensive guide aims to build vital local capacity and provide implementors with tools to promote social protection to informal economy workers vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.

“Promoting awareness and understanding on the benefits of social protection programmes helps informal sector workers, prepare and manage risks in different stages of their life like unemployment, illness and old age,” said Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines.

Developing the Social Protection Guide is vital as recent crises from the pandemic to floods and typhoons have revealed the vulnerability of informal work.

Over 100 local government community leaders joined the training in Siargao Island on 10-11 September and Quezon City on 15-16 September under the ILO’s Formalization of the Informal Economy Project. The project is funded by the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden through the ILO's Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA).

© Minette Rimando/ILO

© Minette Rimando/ILO

The project uses a Training of Trainers (TOT) model, ensuring that staff from key local offices, such as the Municipal Agriculture and Fisheries Office (MAFO) in Del Carmen, Siargao, and the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in Quezon City are equipped to sustain awareness sessions within their communities.

In Del Carmen, Siargao, participating in the training were community organizers from the Municipal Agriculture and Fisheries office, leaders of the community savings groups associations, and women savings leaders from the barangay.

“Local government community organizers play a key role in guiding informal sector groups on the different social protection programs at the national and local level, that can help them in their times of needs,” said Dr Fidel Gonzales, Municipal and Agriculture Officer, Del Carmen, Siargao.

The training sessions in Quezon City were led by district coordinators of the Quezon City Public Employment Service Office, and leaders of informal sector groups such as community savings groups associations, mothers’ organizations and waste pickers associations.

“The Quezon City Public Employment Service Office plays an important role in handholding informal sector organizations to support their employment, livelihood and social protection. Through community awareness sessions on social protection, we are able to reach out to informal sector workers and share with them the need to set aside for their social protection benefits such as PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and SSS,” said Rogelio Reyes, Quezon City Public Employment Service Office Chief.

By empowering local leaders and providing clear guidelines, the initiative aims to ensure that informal economy workers in the Philippines have access to social protection coverage, which will help secure and safeguard their health, livelihood and future, particularly in the face of ongoing crises and climate change.

© Minette Rimando/ILO

© Minette Rimando/ILO