Senator Camille Villar has filed a bill seeking to strengthen protections for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) workers, highlighting the need to prioritize their safety in times of disaster.

This comes after BPO employees in Cebu were reportedly forced to return to work shortly after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the province last week.

Villar’s Senate Bill No. 1401, or the “BPO Workers’ Welfare and Protection Act,” aims to institutionalize occupational health and safety standards specifically for the BPO industry. 

The proposed measure mandates the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to develop and strictly enforce safety protocols aligned with international standards set by the International Labor Organization (ILO). These standards would be reviewed annually and enforced across all BPO establishments nationwide.

“No worker should ever have to choose between their safety and their job. The welfare of our BPO employees must always come first,” Villar said in a statement, urging the Senate for swift passage of the bill.

Cebu-based BPO workers earlier raised concerns about unsafe return-to-work directives and alleged harassment by employers for refusing to return to offices due to safety fears. Some workers reportedly faced threats of dismissal for prioritizing their well-being.

Under the proposed bill, all BPO companies would be required to craft their own Workplace Occupational Health and Safety (WOHS) policies. 

These must be consistent with national guidelines but tailored to local conditions. 

Policies would be subject to annual reviews and updates with the involvement of designated health and safety officers and employee representatives.

Aside from disaster preparedness and occupational safety, the measure also includes provisions to prohibit the imposition of excessive company bonds or financial penalties on employees who resign before completing a fixed employment period. 

It also explicitly bans discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics.

“BPO workers are at the frontline of our global service industry. Protecting their welfare means protecting the dignity of Filipino labor and ensuring shared prosperity,” Villar added.

The senator emphasized that the bill responds to both immediate safety concerns and broader labor rights issues, as the BPO sector continues to be a major driver of the Philippine economy.