PLCPD joins regional call for decisive action on care economy and climate change

The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, led by its Chair Rep. Krisel Lagman, joined delegates from 22 member-states at the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development’s (AFPPD) annual conference in Kuala Lumpur on September 2-3.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Parliamentary Leadership for the Future: An All-of-Society Approach to the Care Economy and Demographic Resilience.”

Representative Lagman talked about migrant care work and labor mobility, spotlighting the contributions of Filipino care workers around the world. Carrying the experience of a young registered nurse who worked abroad, and later, as a local chief executive and national legislator, she shared the challenges Filipino migrant workers continue to face and focused on legislative measures already enacted and those still being pursued to address these concerns. She concluded her presentation by putting forward policy recommendations to her fellow lawmakers and a challenge for AFPPD to be a forum for member countries—who also share labor force—to have meaningful exchange on addressing the challenges of care workers, paid and unpaid.

Discussions at the conference also turned to climate change and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. In the wake of the recent devastation in Nepal, delegates issued a call to action linking the care economy to climate resilience. The statement urges parliamentarians to step up climate action—including equitable financing and stronger accountability mechanisms—and to protect vulnerable groups such as women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities, among others. The call also underscores the growing importance of care work amid shifting population dynamics across the region.

AFPPD is a broad network of 30 national committees of parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific. PLCPD is an active member of AFPPD. Rep. Krisel Lagman serves as AFPPD’s Treasurer.