PAMBANSANG KALIPUNAN
NG MGA MANGGAGAWANG
IMPORMAL SA PILIPINAS
(PATAMABA), INC.
(The National Network of Informal Workers in the
Philippines)
As Women, As Workers, As
Entrepreneurs and their Need
for Social Protection
(The PATAMABA Experience)
Presented to the
ASEAN Regional Conference on Social
Protection for Women in Enterprise
Development
December 4-5, 2014
Brief Background
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Founded in 1991 as a membership-based
organization of grassroots and marginalized
homebased and informal workers
A non-stock and non-profit organization run
and managed by majority of women
homebased workers
Has a membership of around 18,000 own
account/self-employed and subcontracted
workers (including the youth) in 12 regions,
34 provinces and almost 276 local chapters
nationwide
Brief Background
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Members are
engaged in individual
and social/group
micro-enterprises;
networking with local
government agencies;
community
housing;training cum
production, social
protection, and food
and health services
Strategic Issues
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The Vision, Mission and Goals (VMG) of
the organization are translated into
action to respond to the main strategic
issues of homebased workers/members
such as INVISIBILITY, ACCESS TO
PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES, ACCESS
TO SOCIAL PROTECTION and
JUSTICE, and ASSET REFORM.
Programs, Services and Campaigns
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organizing and coalition building (HomeNet Philippines)
capacity building & awareness-raising
advocacy & networking(intensified)
participation in governance &
institution building
Enactment of the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal
Economy (MACWIE) and other items on its legislative
agenda;
Campaign for social protection focusing on occupational
safety and health;
Resource mobilization for sustainability where trade
facilitation is introduced and developed; and
Socio-economic assistance (facilitates common market,
enterprise development and credit facility program and
micro-finance.
Specific Organizational Initiatives in
Addressing Social Protection on
Homebased Workers/Entreprenuers
1) AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO MICROFINANCE
 Apart from organizing for representation and advocacy,
women home workers/entrepreneurs also see the need
to have an enabling strategy that will allow them to
engage in cooperative ventures and participate in
advocacy reforms within the community.
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The formation of group enterprises and cooperatives
by PATAMABA women was aimed for addressing the
need for alternative livelihood in lieu of the dwindling
resources and lack of opportunities.
Specific Organizational Initiatives in
Addressing Social Protection on
Homebased Workers/Entreprenuers
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Social enterprises
activities are not centrally
motivated by profit yet are
responsive to women’s
desire for economic
empowerment where
reciprocity, trust, mutual
support and community
involvement reign.
PATAMABA builds
women-led cooperatives
and group enterprises
focusing on organic food
production
Specific Organizational Initiatives in
Addressing Social Protection on
Homebased Workers/Entreprenuers
Marketing of products :
 Walk –in costumers
During learning
exchange visits of schools
and other visitors
Local market
Sold by PATAMABA
Specific Organizational Initiatives in
Addressing Social Protection on
Homebased Workers/Entreprenuers
The Micro-Finance Program
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Integrating Mutual Aid into the Micro-finance Program
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In Region VI (Western Visayas) programs and services
include livelihood loans, savings mobilization/capital buildup, skills training, awareness-raising (on gender issues and
reproductive health), community organizing,
entrepreneurship development, marketing assistance and
emergency assistance (through their DAMAYAN—helping
one another in times of crisis).
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PATAMABA Region VI has a credit plus approach to microfinance, combining lending with capacity building towards
greater women’s participation and empowerment.
Exploring the Social Protection Experiences of
Members Entrepreneurs
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Some PATAMABA members are already members of the
Social Security System (SSS) because of their previous
work experience.
Many are members of PhilHealth through the indigent
program (after screening by the Department of Social
Welfare and Development or DSWD) and through the
sponsorship by a congressman, who worked through a
Foundation called the “Taos Puso Foundation”.
The contributions were paid for by the congressman and
these were renewed yearly.
One PATAMABA Municipal Chapter was also a sentrong
sigla municipality where free health services can be
availed of by residents, including free medicines.
There is also a Women’s Crisis Center which deals with
gender-based violence in the municipality.
Exploring the Social Protection
Experiences of Members Entrepreneurs
Within PATAMABA, there are informal
mechanisms for mutual aid.
 Whenever anyone dies in the community,
members contribute spontaneously, even
without a designated collector.
 PATAMABA officers relate that they have a
PALUWAGAN or monthly contribution and
some goes to a DAMAYAN fund.
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Problems, Lessons learned, and
Challenges
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In managing the micro-finance program for women
home-based and other informal workers is not just an
easy task for grassroots leaders.
It needs a thorough understanding of the real situation
of women as workers especially at the grassroots level
doing both productive and reproductive work to survive
the needs of their families and the like.
There is a need to capacitate them in terms of
capacity building seminars particularly in managing
their small enterprises, strengthening their
organization, lobbying and advocacy skills.
Problems, Lessons learned, and
Challenges
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Some issues and concerns confronted by the
group are:
a) some local government officials lack
awareness on the issues of home-based
workers and other workers in the informal
economy in their area;
b) insufficient budget to conduct regular
monitoring to members in far flung areas;
c) natural calamities such as floods and
typhoons;
d) increased monthly contribution imposed by
SSS for social protection benefits; and
e) emergency cases beyond control.
Problems, Lessons learned,
and Challenges
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There had been problems that they had encountered and
experienced along the way in their advocacy and active
networking with various agencies particularly government
agencies and some local government units.
Some politicians (local chief executives –LGU level) favored
organizations that they have influenced and politically motivated
in terms of access and control of resources in their area of
jurisdiction. If you are not favored by politicians you are the last
to benefit; and this was also experienced by PATAMABA
members in the region.
However, members are aware of their rights as women and as
workers and they always use the rights-based approach in
claiming their rights as home-based workers.
Problems, Lessons learned, and
Challenges
As a learning point and a challenge as well, in
order to claim what is rightfully theirs, there is a
need to organize and strengthen the ranks of
informal sector workers;
 build the capacity of members/entrepreneurs to
become strong and effective leaders to lead their
organization and ;
 members should be fully equipped to enhance
their skills in negotiating, networking, lobbying and
advocacy in all fields of struggle.
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Women’s Empowerment
Women entrepreneurs participate in PATAMABA’s micro-lending
program by studying its policies, showing responsibility and concern
for its success, accessing loans, by patronizing other services – e.g.
marketing and by giving feedback to their regional and local leaders
during meetings and training activities.
 Because of their long term organizational involvement and their
exposure to gender training and issues, most clients manifest
empowerment within the home (husband and other male members
of the family share housework and child care), within the
organization, and within the community.
 PATAMABA believes in an integrated approach to women’s
empowerment, which combines strategies such as awareness
raising, community organizing, capability building, accessing
resources (credit, technology, markets, etc.), social protection,
lobbying, advocacy, and networking.
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Ways Forward
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For the scheme to be expanded and formalized,
however, it should be able to afford paid staff.
This also means increasing the lending fund to
about a million pesos, which is of sufficient scale
to justify the hiring of dedicated personnel.
One way is to place the micro-finance under the
umbrella of the two existing cooperatives, and
motivate the clients to contribute more if they are
already members, and to provide membership
shares if they are not yet members.
This way the lending fund will not only grow but
client members will even be more eager to borrow
and save as they will be getting dividends and
patronage refunds.
Ways Forward
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Actively campaign for more membership
coverage and wider benefit packages in SSS,
PhilHealth, Red Cross, and DAMAYAN for their
social security and protection.
Integrate more occupational safety and health
in the micro-finance program.
Strengthen capacity of members/entrepreneurs
in managing their social enterprises/livelihood
projects through capacity building and skills
upgrading training/seminars, product
development and market access.
Maraming Salamat Po!
And
MABUHAY!