Senate urged to ratify ILO Convention 190 to protect OFWs

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday urged the Senate to ratify the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment, noting its benefits to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

"The Convention is especially relevant for our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who may face various forms of violence and harassment in their workplaces abroad, such as physical, psychological, sexual, or economic harm," DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said in a statement. 

Cacdac said the ILO Convention, which aims to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment, allows the creation of an international framework for the protection of OFWs.

"[C]ertain groups of OFWs may be more vulnerable to violence and harassment, such as domestic workers, seafarers, health workers, and women workers," he said.

In a position paper submitted to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the DMW said the ratification of the ILO Convention will highlight the country's commitment in promoting a safe work environment. 

ILO Convention 190 entered into force on June 25, 2021 and has been ratified by six countries, namely Argentina, Ecuador, Fiji, Namibia, Somalia, and Uruguay.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier endorsed the ratification of ILO Convention 190 to the Senate in his referral letter dated 13 October 2023. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/KBK, GMA Integrated News