25 April 2006 – Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban B. Conejos Jr. announced that Regional Consular Offices (RCOs) of the DFA are participating in the nationwide observance of “Araw ng Kasambahay 2006” on 30 April 2006.

Undersecretary Conejos has issued a Memorandum regarding the DFA’s support for the celebration of “Araw ng Kasambahay 2006” and instructed the RCOs particularly those that cover the cities of Batangas, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Davao to join the observance of the event in their respective localities.

The theme for this year’s celebration, which is “Kilalanin ang halaga ng mga kasambahay. Batas kasambahay, agad na ipasa!”, clamors for the immediate passage of the Batas Kasambahay  and for concrete government policies that will realize the National Domestic Workers’ Agenda, Undersecretary Conejos said.    He explained that the Agenda was finalized during the First National Domestic Workers’ Summit in September 2005, in which DFA was a major sponsor.

The “Araw ng Kasambahay” is a tradition that started in 2000 involving the Visayan Foundation Inc., Samahan at Ugnayan ng mga Manggagawang Pantahanan sa Pilipinas, International Labor Organization, and partners  from the government sector, NGOs, schools, and religious groups.

Undersecretary Conejos pointed out that through the years the “Araw ng Kasambahay” has served as a venue for intensifying public awareness about the situations and reforms needed in the domestic work sector. END