Discriminatory hiring has long been a problem in Philippine business. Though an obvious bane to Philippine economic development, it remains as the proverbial elephant in the room. It's there. It's a big problem but nobody bothers to deal with it.
Earlier today, I browsed through some job ads for positions in the Metro Manila area. Some of the ads I saw showed the following requirements for the positions mentioned:
Finance Manager - female; 37-45 years old; preferably living in Quezon City
Accounting Staff - preferably single; not more than 27 years old
Training Specialist - not more than 32 years old
HR Assistant - 23 to 28 years old
Account Executive - female; 21 to 26 years of age; graduate of Business or Marketing course from reputable schools
These discriminatory hiring practices have been in place for generations. They are a national embarassment. In other countries, finding the above language on job ads would trigger job discrimination lawsuits and would be a public relations disaster for any self-respecting company. I am wondering as to why, after all these years, both the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Congress have not stepped up to the plate to address this matter.
Congressman Rozzano Rufino "Ruffy" Biazon filed House Bill No. 1997 ("An Act Prohibiting Discrimination in the Hiring of Employees or Workers in General With Regard to Their Age and Education Institution From Which They Earned Their Degrees, and For Other Purposes") back in 2004 in an effort to address and halt discriminatory hiring practices based on age and schooling. As to why he did not include sex, marital status, and disability-based discrimination escapes me at the moment. A check on Congress' website showed that this bill was submitted to the House Committee on Labor and Employment in August 2004 for appropriate action. Sad news is that the bill seems to have stalled because it remains in a "Pending" status with the same committee more than three years since its submission.
These hiring practices are a deplorable waste of available human talent and skill. They also send the wrong message to the country's youth in that "form" is much more valued than "substance". It does not matter what a person has to offer in terms of intelligence, skills, and/or work ethic. A higher premium is placed on a person who has a pleasing personality (which is difficult to determine with objectivity), graduated from the right school, is of the right gender, of a certain height, and below a certain age.
Discriminatory hiring practices deny people the opportunity to improve their lot in life. They reflect an unjust and short-sighted society. How could a skilled father or mother raise and educate two or three kids to be productive, tax-paying citizens in the future if he/she is denied employment? How could we get a skilled but handicapped person off the government's welfare rolls and reallocate the funds that used to support him/her to other uses if he/she is denied employment?
These practices are also a form of economic sabotage for how could the benefits of economic growth trickle down to the masses when they are denied a fair opportunity to compete for jobs? How could we effectively address the problems of poverty, hunger, and poor education if we deny a skilled father or mother the chance to properly nourish and educate his/her children? Discriminatory hiring sentences skilled people to a life of economic irrelevance.
The government has pulled out all the stops to support OFWs because they bring much needed dollars into the country. They help prop up an otherwise frail economy. But any comprehensive economic development plan should also include putting policies and laws in place that would prohibit discriminatory hiring against workers who choose to remain within the country. For local businesses and the economy to grow, we need to tap all the skills and talent that are readily available to us.
We need to put an end to our country's economic equivalent of a caste system. It's about time that it be replaced with a system that places more value in what a person has to offer. I just hope for everyone's sake that these discriminatory practices be put to an end within our lifetime.
16 responses:
one of the many practices in Pinas that really ticks me off. Lalo na siguro yung mga naga-apply ng blue-collar jobs i.e, sales assistants or wait staff/crew sa mga fast food chains. At the very least they require applicants who are young, with pleasing personality, and some years in college (correct me if im wrong). When you think about it, kaya nga sila nag-aaply sa ganyang position because they have limited backgrounds to speak of, how can they be given a break when requirements such as that border on the absurd?
kaka-tense, hehe!
Equal opportunity employment is still a distant reality in Pinas. I'm not sure how long will it take the country to wake up. Sad to say elitism in all aspects of life is ingrained in our culture :(
Such discriminatory hiring adds are completely illegal in Belgium and probably in the whole of Europe.
I guess Congressmen/women are busy with other things... ;-)
i've been a victim of such practice years back. the company wouldn't hire me because i'm a mom with kids.
what's the sq rt of 20449?
Mari,
You would not want to work for such a company anyway. They'll just make it difficult for you to attend to your kids.
1-4-3 2. :)
Abby,
That's true. A high school graduate should be allowed to fill the positions you mentioned. This is so that people who either have college degrees or are in college could be tapped to perform other jobs.
Sidney,
Yup, they're either busy filing impeachment proceedings against the President or passing new laws that would give them better raises. Hehehe
BW,
It's very unfortunate. That snobbish/elitist approach is doing more harm than good to our economy and people. That's probably why we have high unemployment and underemployment rates. It really needs to be corrected for our country to prosper.
so what else is new? I once walked out on a interview because of this. there were several of us in the reception area waiting for our turn, but we could hear the owner's voice as she interviewed anothe applicant. then I overheard the questions, "why aren't you married yet? are you gay or straight?" I was shocked, we were shocked. three of us walked out.
Mon,
That was very unprofessional of her to do that. The questions were too personal and had nothing to do with the job they applied for. She ought to be fired.
wow!
The reason why the bill is still pending is because these lawmakers didn't want to step on some sensitive toes, as a lot of the lawmakers are businessmen themselves, or are well connected in the business sector. Besides, it's not as important as the "other" laws... if u know what I mean. ;-)
Hi rdl,
It's such a shame, isn't it?
Rudy,
Just goes to show that Congress's legislative priorities are all screwed up.
.............much.
Hi Liquid,
It's one of the big reasons why the country remains poor. We do not tap the resources available to us, human and otherwise, in an efficient manner. It's awful.
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