Permanent employment, fair pay for child development workers pushed
Photo taken in 2022 shows a daycare center being turned over to Aetas in Barangay (village) Nabuclod, Floridablanca, Pampanga. (Photo by Tonette Orejas)
MANILA, Philippines — The Trabaho party-list pushed for permanent employment and fair compensation for child development workers, more investments in early childhood education and cited the benefits of well-equipped daycare centers.
The group cited data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council that showed only 22 percent of child development workers had permanent posts.
The UNICEF and ECCD survey also showed that non-permanent child development workers were paid P5,000 a month, with some being paid as low as P1,000 a month.
“In response, Trabaho is calling for legislative measures to grant permanent employment status to qualified daycare workers and ensure fair compensation that reflects their contributions to early childhood education,” the group said in a statement on Saturday.
READ: Children not enrolled in pre-school face inequalities early in life
Trabaho also pushed for an increase in government spending in early childhood education, citing a 2019 UNICEF report recommending at least 10 percent of nations’ education budgets to be allocated to create and improve pre-primary programs.
“With well-equipped daycare centers, working parents, especially mothers, can confidently engage in employment, knowing their children are in a safe and nurturing environment,” Trabaho party-list spokesperson Mitchell-David Espiritu said in the statement.
“This allows businesses and workplaces to retain a more productive workforce while reducing absenteeism caused by childcare concerns,” Espiritu added.
