Camille Villar files bill for waste workers’ program

DEPUTY Speaker and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar has filed a bill that seeks to establish a Waste Workers’ Health and Welfare Program.

The measure, House Bill (HB) 9806, was filed on Jan. 22, 2024.

“[Waste workers] play a vital role in solid waste management … and contribute greatly in protecting the environment. Despite their importance, waste workers are some of the most under-appreciated and unprotected workers,” Villar said.

HB 9806 mandates the Department of Labor and Employment to “establish and administer” the program, and there must be a registration system to cover waste workers.

Also, they shall be given a “package of healthcare benefits, including” free yearly checkups, vaccinations and hospitalization aid, “in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.”

Further, HB 9806 provides that there must be “regular training programs on methods, techniques, and the proper use of personal protective equipment” (PPE).

Under the bill, the program shall include the mandatory provision of “suitable and adequate” PPE “free of charge by their employers or agencies.”

It shall include the “facilitation of access to educational assistance programs and scholarship grants for waste workers and their dependents.”

The bill also mandates the “institution of a loan program under the auspices of [DoLE], in collaboration with qualified financial institutions, to provide waste workers with low-interest loans for housing, emergency situations, or the establishment of sustainable livelihood businesses.”

“We should all work together to promote the health, safety, and welfare of waste workers throughout the country. Let us recognize the critical role that they play in maintaining the cleanliness and sustainability of our communities,” Villar said in a statement issued on Monday.