22 December 2015 - The Philippine Embassy in Santiago organized a seminar on Migration and Labor Laws last October 25 at the OTIC-CCHC Building in Santa Beatriz St, Santiago, Chile.       

Vice Consul Raisa Mabayo welcomed all participants and thanked the resource speakers, on behalf of Ambassador Maria Consuelo Puyat-Reyes, for always being proactive in responding to the needs of foreign workers in Chile.

Ms. Sarah Lyons, Chief of the Foreign Migration Office from the Ministry of Interior, gave a thorough presentation on the latest in Chilean migration laws, with special focus on amendments pertaining to workers and their residency status. The last resource speaker, Mr. Gabriel Ramirez from the National Labor Office (Direccion de Trabajo), provided an update on Chilean labor laws.

The seminar coincided with the enactment of Law No. 20.786, a new measure that took effect in January this year that seeks to modify the existing household labor law and intends to eliminate abuses, regulate worker’s contracts, tasks and working hours. Among the benefits to be gained by household workers is the granting of Saturday as a flexible additional rest day beginning 21 November 2015.

The open forum was particularly lively as the participants, most of whom were household workers, had a number of questions regarding their contracts and their status as migrant workers in Chile. The speakers welcomed the exchanges, which provided them with an opportunity to learn firsthand about the unique experiences of Filipino workers in Chile and lend their expertise on the various labor and migration issues raised by the latter.

The seminar ended with the resource speakers informing the participants of the various ways through which they may report the untoward practices of their employers to relevant authorities in Chile. The Chilean government had recently established a hotline for this purpose, which workers in Chile may reach at 600-450-4000. END