ASEAN declaration on protection of migrant workers forthcoming

DAVAO CITY – Labor ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are set to draft the implementing guidelines of the ASEAN declaration for the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that these rights include protections on fixed working hours and exemption from payment of terminal fees,

However, the form of the proposed instrument is not yet final, with some member states, such as Indonesia, pushing for the instrument to be legally binding, while other countries were not as committed.

"Medyo hindi masyado prepared ang other countries, so nagpropose ako na instead of 'legally binding,' nagpropose tayo na 'morally binding' na lang," Bello said.

Bello, speaking to fellow ASEAN labor ministers at the Marco Polo Davao, said that the group has been able to make "significant headway" in drafting the document, which is expected to be submitted by April.

The document is expected to outline the rights of the millions of migrant workers from all ASEAN memberstates.

Bello said that once the document is signed, the agreement "ethically binds" the countries to implement the commitments.

He added that the migrant worker "gives the ASEAN integration a human face.” (Yas D. Ocampo)

LABOR MINISTERS – Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (fifth from left) hosts his Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) counterparts in the ASEAN Labor Ministers’ Retreat held yesterday at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City. (Keith Bacongco)