GLIMPSE OF OUR HISTORY

         The Pambansang Kalipunan ng mga Manggagawang Impormal sa Pilipinas or PATAMABA is a national network of predominantly female, home-based and other informal workers defending and advancing the collective interests primarily of home-based workers, who are predominantly women and who are generally not covered by the protective mantle of the Labor Code of the Philippines. The network was first started as an Adhoc Committee of 29 homebased workers from nine provinces in 1989 and launched in 1991 as the National Network of Home-based Workers (Pambansang Tagapag-ugnay ng Manggagawa sa Bahay). In 1992, PATAMABA succeeded in pressuring the Filipino government into affirming certain labour protections for home-based workers, including the registration of worker's organisations, the possibility of collective bargaining and the right to immediate payment. During the 1990s, PATAMABA expanded from home-based work to other sectors of the informal economy. It adapted its current name in 2003, but kept the acronym. It also spearheaded the formation of Homenet Philippines, a broad coalition composed of 27 membership-based organizations and NGOs with an approximate 65,000 members that push for social protection for all and the passage of the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy (MACWIE) bill among others. PATAMABA is currently a member of NEDA Social Development Cluster Sub-Committee on Social Protection at the national and regional levels as one of the representatives of the CSOs.

           Since then, PATAMABA‟s individual membership has reached a total of around 19,000; 98% of whom are women, between 18 and 75 years of age and are organized into 300 chapters in 34 provinces located in 12 regions. Of these, 4,102 are subcontracted workers, 14,986 are self-employed and 1,667 are a combination of both. Apart from homebased workers, it has 11 affiliate –organizations composed of vendors, small transport operators of tricycle/pedicab and bancas, project-based construction workers, personal service workers (beauticians, barbers, laundry persons) and the youth (youth advocates and working youth) in the ranks of its membership. 98 percent of PATAMABA's members are women, while more than half of them are home-based workers. Other affiliated groups include vendors, small transport operators, construction workers and service workers. They are organised in 12 regions, 34 provinces and 276 local chapters throughout the Philippines. The union supports its members in developing their own enterprises, participating in local politics, pursuing training and accessing social services.

      PATAMABA's members continue to be engaged in social solidarity economy enterprises, networking with various government and non-government agencies (both local, national and international), community housing, capacity building and skills training (training cum production), social protection, and food and health services.