THE Philippines is reaping one accolade after another in the form of election to important positions in the International Labour Organization (ILO) of the United Nations. This was announced by our own Department of Labor and Employment with some degree of boastfulness.
First, the Philippines was elected as one of 66 deputy members of the ILO’s Governing Body (GB). A total of 28 deputy members came from governments, 19 from employers, and 19 from the workers’ sector. The Philippine government will serve in the ILO-GB for four three-year terms, or until 2036.
The Governing Body is the executive arm of the ILO, which plays a crucial role in determining the organization’s plans, setting the agenda for the International Labour Conference, adopting proposed activities and budget, and electing the ILO’s director general.
Over a week later during the 112th International Labor Conference, the Philippines was elected for three-year terms each as a member of the Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) and of the Board of the International Training Center (ITC) in Turin, Italy.
‘We wonder how our DOLE officials who will sit in the ILO bodies could explain this seeming contradiction of the country’s sharing its best practices on labor with other countries when workers in the homeland are deprived of fundamental rights.’
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma puts a premium on these accomplishments since this is the first time that the Philippines will serve in these posts. The department considers this “an affirmation of the Philippines’ commitment to promote and respect international labor standards, and a recognition by ILO member-states of its ability to play a leadership role on ILO matters, particularly in the Asia-Pacific.”
If the Philippines can contribute its experience in labor policy-making for the benefit of the international community, it is well taken for it will improve the national image abroad.
However, what should be the principal concern of the Department of Labor and Employment is the labor situation at home. We do not need confirmation from the recent worldwide survey of the Global Rights Index 2024 of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) that the status of labor in the country is bleak. According to this study, the Philippines is one of 10 countries worldwide where workers are “exposed to unfair labor practices” and “have no access to their rights.” The other nine are Bangladesh, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Guatemala, Myanmar, Tunisia, Turkey and the Philippines.
The DOLE seemed not to care about the survey results. Filipinos have long accepted their country is among those with the least respect and caring for labor, a very important sector in the national effort to prop up the economy and achieve economic growth.
Transport workers have experienced first hand this condescending treatment from the government, in the case of the public utility vehicles modernization program.
Our officials’ apparent lack of support for the labor sector may be one reason the country has been included in the ITUC’s 10 worst countries for workers since 2017. In the 2024 Global Rights Index, the country obtained a rating of five as workers are found to have “no guarantee of rights.” The Philippines was given the same rating in ITUC’s review in 2023.
We wonder how our DOLE officials who will sit in the ILO bodies could explain this seeming contradiction of the country’s sharing its best practices on labor with other countries when workers in the homeland are deprived of fundamental rights.
