EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
} 
F irst R egular Session 
}
S E N A T E
48G
S.B. No.
(O H ii" 8>
*19 
JUL 15 
A10-.51
Ri:c£!iLi:
In tro d u ced  by SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III
AN ACT
TO MAXIMIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF UNPAID CARE WORKERS TO 
NATION BUILDING, GRANT BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill recognizes the importance of “Unpaid Care Work” in our society. 
A study conducted by Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona entitled United Nations 
Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights (2013) examined 
the links between unpaid care work, poverty and women’s human rights. It 
argues that heavy and unequal unpaid care workloads not only keep women 
in poverty, but also affect their enjoyment of several human rights and stunts 
progress towards gender equality. It was found out that heavy and unequal 
care responsibilities are major barriers to gender equality and to women’s 
enjoyment of human rights.1
“Unpaid Care Work” includes a wide spectrum of domestic task, as well 
as care for people at home and in the community. Although this is critical to 
the proper functioning of communities, it has been often undervalued and 
overlooked by economic and social public policy initiatives. Research shows
1 h ttp s://p a p e rs.ssrn .com /sol3/papers.cfm ?abstract_id=2533866


that if “Unpaid Care Work” was assigned a monetaiy value, it would constitute 
between 10 and 50 per cent of GDP.
“Unpaid Care Work” reinforces discriminatory gender stereotypes that 
force women to stay at home and limits their participation in the public sphere. 
Women perform 76.2 per cent of total hours of “Unpaid Care Work”, more than 
three times as much as men globally while women do four (4) times more 
“Unpaid Care Work” than men in Asia and the Pacific./!
This Bill initiates the discussion of gender norms and stereotypes, which 
is the crucial step in redistributing responsibilities for care and housework 
between women and men. It also provides benefits and privileges to qualified 
“Unpaid Care Workers”.
In the light of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is 
earnestly sought.
VICENT
. SOTTO III
h ttp s://w w w .ilo .o rg /a sia /m e d ia -ce n tre /n e w s/W C M S _ 6 3 3 2 8 4 /la n g -e n /in d e x.h tm


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ' 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
} 
F irst R egular Session 
}
- 0! t
S E N A T E  
S.B. No. 
^ 8 6
Rl C
*19 
JUL 15 
A10 51
In tro d u ced  by SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III
AN ACT
TO MAXIMIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF UNPAID CARE WORKERS TO 
NATION BUILDING, GRANT BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. Title. This act shall be known as the “U npaid Care W orkers
2 
A ct”.
3 
SECTION 2. D eclaration of Policies. — It is the policy of the State to
4 
promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and
5 
independence of the nation, and free the people from poverty through policies
6 
that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising
7 
standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all (Section IX, 1987
8 
Philippine Constitution).
9 
Section XI likeunse stipulates that the “State values dignity of every
10 
human person and shall ensure full respect for human rights”. Section XIV
11 
recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the
12 
fundamental equality before the law of men and women.
13 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act, the following
14 
term s shall be construed to mean as follows:
15
a) “Unpaid Care Work” refers to the following:


1 
1) Production of goods or sei'vices in a household or
2 
community that are not sold on a market;
3 
2) Domestic work (i.e. cleaning, cooking, washing, other
4 
household chores); and
5 
3) N urturing the m em bers of the household (i.e. taking
6 
care of the children and spouse, and tending to the
7 
elderly, the sick, and persons with disability).
8 
b) “Unpaid Care Worker3’ (UCW) refers to any individual who
9 
performs “unpaid care work”.
10 
c) "Household' -  a house and its occupants regarded as a unit.
11 
d) "Childreri' - those living with and dependent for support, who
12 
are single and unm arried, unemployed, and not more than
13 
eighteen (18) years of age, or even over eighteen (18) years but
14 
are incapable of self-support because of mental and/or
15 
physical defect/disability.
16 
e) “Persons with Disability” -  those suffering from restriction of
17 
different abilities, as a result of a mental, physical or sensory
18 
impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within
19 
the range considered norm al for a  hum an being as provided
20 
by Republic Act 7277, or 
the Magna Carta for Disabled
21 
Persons.
22 
f) "Parental responsibility" - with respect to their children shall
23 
refer to the rights and duties of the parents as defined in
24 
Article 220 of Executive Order No. 209, as amended,
25 
otherwise known as the "Family Code of the Philippines."
26 
SECTION 4. Requisites of an  “Unpaid Care Worker33. - An individual
27 
who possesses the following circum stances/criteria may avail of the
28 
benefits and privileges provided for under this Act:
29 
1. Legally married Stay-at-Home-Spouse, living with,
30 
and primarily tasked with the responsibility of
31 
taking care of the household. This individual must
32 
possess the following:


2
3
4
5
6
1
i. 
Must be eighteen (18) years of age and 
above;
ii. 
Must be below sixty (60) years of age;
iii. 
Must have legally contracted marriage;
2. Any family member, living with the household, and 
primarily performing unpaid care work;
7 
3. Any individual, living with the household, and primarily
8 
performing unpaid care work.
9 
These individuals must not have been convicted by final
10 
judgment for an offense involving moral turpitude.
11 
Provided that, a change in the status or circumstance of the
12 
UCWs claiming benefits under this Act, shall term inate h is/h e r
13 
eligibility for these benefits, but may qualify for the benefits either as a
14 
Solo Parent recognized under the Solo Parent’s Welfare Act of 2000, or
15 
as a  Senior Citizen recognized under the applicable laws.
16 
Provided further that, only one individual m ust qualify as a UCW
17 
for every household, and provided that, this individual shall only avail
18 
of the benefits exclusively without availing other benefits provided
19 
under the laws either as Solo Parent or a Senior Citizen.
20 
SECTION 5. Comprehensive Package of Social Development an d
21 
W elfare Services. - A comprehensive package of social development and
22 
welfare services for UCWs and their families will be developed by the “UCW
23 
Coordinating Council” composed by the DSWD, GAD, PSA, CHR, DOH,
24 
DEPED, CHED, TESDA, DOLE, and DILG, in coordination with local
25 
governm ent units and non-governm ent organizations with proven track
26 
record in providing services for UCWs.
27 
The DSWD, as chairperson of the “UCW Coordinating Council”, shall
28 
coordinate with concerned agencies the implementation of the


1 
com prehensive package of social development and welfare services for
2 
UCWs and their families. The package will initially include:
3 
1. Livelihood development services which include trainings on
4 
livelihood 
skills, 
basic 
business m anagem ent, 
value
5 
orientation and 
the provision of seed capital or job
6 
placem ent.
7 
2. Counseling services which include individual, peer group or
8 
family counseling. This will focus on the resolution of
9 
personal relationship and role conflicts.
10 
3. Parent effectiveness seiwices which include the provision
11 
and expansion of knowledge and skills of the UCWs on early
12 
childhood development, behavior m anagem ent, health care,
13 
rights and duties of parents and children.
14 
4. Critical 
incidence 
stress 
debriefing 
which 
includes
15 
preventive stress m anagem ent strategy designed to assist
16 
UCWs in coping with crisis situations and cases of abuse.
17 
5. Special projects for individuals in need of protection which
18 
include tem poraiy shelter, counseling, legal assistance,
19 
medical 
care, 
self-concept 
or 
ego-building, 
crisis
20 
m anagem ent and spiritual enrichm ent.
21 
SECTION 6. Privileges fo r the Unpaid Care Workers. — In consideration
22 
of the sei-vices rendered by the qualified UCWs, they may avail the following
23 
benefits or privileges, in addition to the other privileges herein provided:
24 
a) The grant of twenty percent (20%) discount from all
25 
establishm ents 
relative 
to 
utilization of transportation
26 
services, restau ran ts and recreation centers and purchase of
27 
medicine anywhere in the country: provided, that private
28 
establishm ents may claim the cost of tax credit.
29 
b) Discrimination. - No household m em ber or com m unity shall
30 
discrim inate against UCWs.
31 
c) Educational Benefits. - The DEPED, CHED and TESDA shall
32 
provide the following benefits and privileges:


1 
a. Scholarship programs for qualified UCWs and their
2 
children 
in 
institutions 
of basic, 
tertiary 
and
3 
technical/skills education; and
4 
b. Non-formal education programs appropriate for UCWs
5 
and their children.
6 
The DEPED, CHED and TESDA shall promulgate rules
7 
and regulations for the proper im plem entation of this
8 
program.
9 
d) Medical Assistance. - The DOH shall develop a comprehensive
10 
health care program for UCWs and their children. The
11 
program  shall be implemented by the DOH through their
12 
retained hospitals and medical centers and the local
13 
government 
units 
(LGUs) 
through 
their
14 
provincial/district/city/m unicipal hospitals and rural health
15 
units (RHUs).
16 
e) Local Government and DOLE Assistance. - The LGU and
17 
DOLE shall develop comprehensive opportunities to empower
18 
the UCWs to become partners of the governm ent in
19 
development and pursuit of their livelihood endeavor,
20 
coordinate 
with 
different 
agencies 
a n d /o r 
non-profit
21 
organizations to give them  greater access to governm ent
22 
services.
23 
f) Gender and Development Office Information Drive. - The GAD
24 
in coordination with the CHR, shall lead the conduct of
25 
advocacy activities, gather inputs and develop data on UCWs
26 
in coordination with the PSA thru the Census of Population,
27 
dissem ination of information, education of com m unities in
28 
the recognition of UCWs’ importance in nation building.
29 
The GAD shall be guided by a model of three interconnected
30 
dimensions to incorporate the issue of Unpaid Care Work into
31 
the 
development agenda; 
Recognition, 
Reduction, 
and
32 
Redistribution.


1 
SECTION 
7. 
M unicipality/City Responsibility. — It shall be the
2 
responsibility of the m unicipality or city through the mayor to ensure th at the
3 
provisions of this Act are implemented to its fullest.
4 
SECTION 8, A dditional Powers and Functions of the DSWD an d  GAD
5 
Office. — The DSWD and GAD shall perform the following additional powers
6 
and functions relative to the welfare of UCWs and their families:
7 
(a) Conduct research necessary to: (1) develop a new body of
8 
knowledge on UCWs; (2) define executive and legislative
9 
m easures needed to promote and protect the interest of UCWs
10 
and their family; and (3) assess the effectiveness of programs
11 
designed for disadvantaged UCWs;
12 
(b) Coordinate the activities of various governmental and non-
13 
governm ental organizations engaged 
in 
prom oting and
14 
protecting the interests of UCWs; and
15 
(c) Monitor the im plem entation of the provisions of this Act and
16 
suggest m echanism s by which such provisions are effectively
17 
implemented.
18 
SECTION 9. Im plem enting Rules an d  Regulations. - An interagency
19 
committee headed by the DSWD, in coordination with the GAD, CHR, DOH,
20 
DEPED, CHED, TESDA, DOLE, and DILG is hereby established which shall
21 
formulate, within ninety (90) days upon the effectivity of this Act, the
22 
im plem enting rules and regulations in consultation with the local governm ent
23 
units, nongovernment organizations and people's organizations.
24 
SECTION 10. A ppropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the
25 
provisions of this Act shall be included in the budget of concerned governm ent
26 
agencies in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactm ent
27 
into law and thereafter.
28 
SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
29 
adm inistrative orders or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this
30 
Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.


1 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held
2 
invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall
3 
continue to be in full force and effect.
4 
SECTION 13. Effectimty Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
5 
following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
6 
newspaper of general circulation.
7 
Approved.