MANILA – The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) hailed the refiling of the Magna Carta for BPO Workers (House Bill 5166) by members of the Makabayan Bloc, describing it as a long-overdue step toward safeguarding the rights and welfare of over 1.8 million employees in the business process outsourcing and IT-enabled services sector.

Filed at the House of Representatives, the proposed measure revives a legislative effort that has remained pending for more than a decade, despite the Philippines being recognized as the global leader in outsourced labor.

To mark the filing, BIEN held a mass action outside Congress during the observance of Customer Service Week to push for living wages, workplace safety, and dignity for BPO employees.

“This is today’s win for BPO workers, but it is also a reminder of the long fight still ahead,” said BIEN Secretary General Renso Bajala. “For years, BPO workers have endured low wages, forced onsite reporting during typhoons, floods, and even earthquakes, alongside systematic repression of union rights. The filing of this bill is a testament to our continued struggle to make our voices heard.”

Bajala cited incidents in Cebu where BPO companies allegedly compelled employees to report to work despite aftershocks and damaged homes, and in Metro Manila where workers waded through floodwaters just to report for duty.

“This is not resilience—this is exploitation dressed up as flexibility,” Bajala said.

House Bill 5166 seeks to guarantee key labor rights such as a ₱36,000 national entry-level wage for BPO workers, stronger Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) compliance, disaster and health emergency protocols, and protection from illegal termination and “floating.” It also includes provisions for paid leaves—including mental health days—and the right to unionize without retaliation, red-tagging, or surveillance.

During the filing, BIEN joined Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co, ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago in introducing the measure, which is supported by various labor and people’s organizations.

“Workers, not corporations, shoulder the real tax burden in this country. Yet it is workers who are made disposable—overworked, underpaid, and unsafe,” Bajala said.

While expressing support for the bill, BIEN also stressed that legislation alone cannot solve the sector’s problems.

“As long as our economy depends on foreign outsourcing, BPO workers will remain disposable. The Magna Carta is necessary, but the real answer lies in national industrialization and creating industries that serve our people, not just multinational profit margins,” Bajala added.

BIEN announced that it will attend the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development hearing on October 8 at the Senate of the Philippines to present testimonies and evidence of OSH violations following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu.

“We call on all BPO workers, fellow workers, and the Filipino people to support House Bill 5166 and to continue the fight for safe workplaces, just wages, and genuine accountability,” Bajala said.