DOLE presents mechanisms on workers’ benefits

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will look into existing processes related to workers’ benefits as part of its goal to build “inclusive social protection” for all Filipinos.

Achieving inclusive social protection is one of the priorities under the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan 2023-2028, which the DOLE presented to President Marcos during a sectoral meeting at Malacañang yesterday.

“Part of that (plan) is the review of mechanisms addressing the benefits of workers. We know that there is an existing tripartite mechanism addressing matters related to the minimum wage level,” DOLE chief Bienvenido Laguesma told journalists during a press briefing.

Laguesma said there are two ways to hike salaries or benefits: through the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board and collective bargaining negotiations.

The wage boards are composed of representatives from the government, employers and labor sectors.

The Philippine Labor and Employment Plan is in line with the Marcos administration’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

Both seek to reduce unemployment and address underemployment with better jobs.

Aside from building inclusive social protection for all, other priorities of the plan are maximizing productive, remunerative, freely chosen, quality and sustainable job opportunities as well as ensure respect for all rights at work, international commitments and human rights.

Laguesma said that petitions for pay increase are progressing in the regional wage boards.

“If a public hearing was held, the next process after the public hearing would be the wage deliberation and normally, within a period of one month, it will be finished, barring any unforeseen event,” Laguesma said.

“We can anticipate that something will be released maybe by next month, which is possible. But I cannot preempt them. I am the chairman of the National Wages Productivity Commission. If I tell them to do this and release this, it would seem that I am giving them orders. If I appeal their decision, I would be preempting their work somehow. We want to maintain the independence of the regional tripartite wages and productivity boards,” he said.

Job creation

The labor and employment plan will also cover the jobs to be created in the infrastructure sector through the Build Better More program of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said more than three million workers would be needed to implement the government’s infrastructure projects next year.

“We are now implementing a total capital outlay budget of about more than P800 billion. And we are implementing about 70,000 big and small contracts all over the country. You can just imagine the labor force that we need in terms of skilled and technical people,” Bonoan said at the same press briefing.

“I think our threshold requirement here in our program is almost about more than three million labor force that will be comprising of skilled and unskilled people on the year-to-year basis... This is just the start of the big infrastructure development program of the country,” he added.

Aside from infrastructure, investment commitments made during Marcos’ foreign trips are also expected to generate jobs. Laguesma said some 75,000 jobs would be generated in the energy sector.