Magna Carta of Day Care Workers gets final House nod

The House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to establish a Magna Carta of Day Care Workers. (Photo: House of Representatives/Facebook)

MANILA — The House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to establish a Magna Carta of Day Care Workers.

With 205 affirmative votes, members of the lower chamber approved House Bill 6550, which aims to improve the social and economic well-being of day care workers.

The bill provides for the creation of at least one Day Care Worker I and one Day Care Worker II plantilla positions — entitled to Salary Grade 6 and Salary Grade 8, respectively — in all day care centers nationwide.

Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, principal author of the bill, said the proposed law would benefit over 84,000 daycare workers nationwide.

The bill states that day care workers shall receive additional compensation, such as overtime pay, hazard allowance and subsistence allowance.

Furthermore, the bill provides that all day care workers shall automatically become members of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth.

The bill seeks the creation of a Special Personnel Selection Board (SPSB) for day care worker positions to screen candidates and create a pool of 10 qualified applicants for possible appointment to the positions.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), will be mandated to provide

“Aside from financial and economic benefits, we also want continuous development for our day care workers that is why the bill also mandates DSWD in coordination with DepEd, CHED, and TESDA to provide skills training, knowledge enhancement, and scholarship opportunities,” Brosas said.