Senate bill filed on benefits for child development workers

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
SENATOR Leila M. De Lima has filed a bill creating a magna carta law for about 50,000 child development workers (CDWs) in the country.
Senate Bill No. 1894, filed on July 30, provides child development workers security of tenure and social protection measures in times of sickness, disability or retirement.
“With millions of our youth dependent on them, it is high time for government to recognize their important role in society and grant them as much support as possible to ensure that they are cared for the way they care for our young,” said Ms. De Lima, who chairs the senate committee on social justice, welfare, and rural development.
The bill proposes at least one permanent position each for CDW I and CDW II in all child development centers nationwide.
It also calls for the creation of a special personnel selection board tasked to ensure that qualified CDWs are assigned in every center.
The proposed measure further ensures CDWs are provided with overtime pay, hazard allowance, subsistence allowance, free legal services, health benefits, as well as access to livelihood, loans and grants.
CDWs are also given access to continuing education, skills training and other knowledge enhancement programs that will be equivalent to formal or academic training units.
“These workers, exercising special parental authority over children under their care, play a crucial role in the development of the minds of these children, thereby requiring a commensurate response from government in ensuring that their work conditions are ideal and their needs are met,” Ms. De Lima said.