Sen. Raffy Tulfo has filed a bill seeking stronger labor protections for employees in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, including automatic work suspension during calamities, higher entry-level wages, and earlier access to medical benefits.
Senate Bill No. 1493, or the BPO Workers’ Welfare and Protection Act, aims to reinforce existing labor standards and introduce safeguards tailored to the nature of BPO work.
Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, said the measure intends to protect millions of Filipinos — many of them young workers — who rely on the industry for immediate employment.
Under the bill, BPO operations would be automatically suspended during typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires, and similar calamities.
The proposal comes after reports that several BPO firms required employees to physically report for work during super typhoon Uwan, forcing some to wade through floodwaters and risk their safety.
Tulfo also proposes that reporting for duty during heavy rains and other weather disturbances be voluntary, with those who choose to work receiving hazard pay.
The measure further mandates regularization after the standard six-month probationary period. If a training period lasts fewer than six months, a worker would become regular immediately after its completion.
On wages, the bill sets a proposed national entry-level salary of at least ₱36,000 for BPO employees — significantly higher than prevailing starting rates in the sector.
Other key provisions include access to medical benefits from the first day of employment and explicit recognition of workers’ rights to organize, collectively bargain, and participate in policy discussions affecting their workplace.
Tulfo said the bill is meant to address long-standing issues in the outsourcing industry and ensure safer, fairer conditions for one of the country’s largest labor sectors.
