Press Release - Co-Sponsorship Speech of Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva - International Labour Organization Convention No. 190 or the Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (ILO C190)

Mr. President and distinguished colleagues:

It is an honor to be given the privilege to stand before you today and co-sponsor a cause close to my heart — Senate Resolution No. 877, under Committee Report No. 174, entitled "Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of International Labour Organization Convention No. 190 or the "Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (ILO C190)"".

We thank our dear colleague, Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for acting swiftly on this very important piece of legislation.

Noong nakaraang naghearing po kami dito, ang ating chairperson at proud na proud ako na i-report sa inyong lahat. Hindi pa na-ra-ratify ito may 10 steps ahead na po siya sa mga dapat gawin at lalo na po sa mga evaluate natin na mga tinatawag na analysis gaps, Mr. President.

ILO Convention 190 is significant to us for a number of reasons. But please allow this representation to give the top 3 reasons in numbers: 65,136 - Riyadh; 43,225 - Kuwait; 29,049 - Malaysia. These are the recorded labor and welfare cases from January to July last year. Each number represents a Filipino migrant worker that faced maltreatment, mistreatment, contract violation, contract substitution, sexual harassment, or rape, among others. We have already emphasized these figures during the Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week but it is worth reiterating them before this august chamber to remind ourselves the impact of ILO C190 to our overseas Filipino workers.

Globally, violence and harassment has been an endemic and persistent concern. Based on the World Risk Poll 2021 by the Lloyd's Register Foundation, 1 in 5 workers (22% of women, 18% of men) have reported that they experienced some form of violence and harassment at work in their lifetime. Worse still, foreign-born women experienced violence and harassment in the workplace more than their native-born counterparts (30.2% vs 21.5%).

In the Philippines, 60% of our workers have experienced violence and harassment in the workplace. Of the women who were harassed, 13% were sexually harassed, 9% were psychologically and physically harassed, and