QUEZON CITY – The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) organized a public webinar titled “Care About Care: Exploring the Care Economy for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities in the Philippines” on November 21, 2024, via Zoom and Facebook Live.  The online event was graced by key stakeholders, including representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) bureaus, regional offices, tripartite partners, academe, and other partners from the public and private sectors.

The webinar aimed to elevate policy discourse and raise public awareness on the care economy, with a spotlight on the needs of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the Philippines.

Ms. Mercy B. Apurado, Supervising Labor and Employment Officer of the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, provided a presentation on Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) programs designed to support Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens.

Ms. Fe Manapat, Secretary-General of the National Rural Women’s Coalition, delivered a presentation on the care economy and discussed the NGO’s initiatives to empower the vulnerable groups including women, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities in rural areas, highlighting programs that promote economic autonomy, reproductive self-determination, and community-led care solutions.

The webinar is part of the Institute’s continuing work on decent work for care workers in the Philippines. Earlier this year, the Institute hosted a webinar titled “Care Has No Gender: Looking through the Spectrum of the Care Economy” last March 14, 2024. The event explored the complex dimensions of care work, its implications for gender equality, and the policies designed to promote equitable care responsibilities nationwide.

The replay of the “Care About Care: Exploring the Care Economy for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities in the Philippines” webinar is accessible at: https://bit.ly/ILSCareAboutCareWebinar.

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