Decent work in the Philippines

Action programme for decent work: Philippines 2001-2004

The Philippines, with the encouragement of government and workers' and employers' organizations, was one of the first countries to participate in a pilot programme on decent work. The three year action programme pursued the objective of supporting national efforts to reduce poverty through the implementation of policies and programmes that promotes full, decent and productive employment of Filipino workers.

In the Philippines, the decent work agenda was used to express employment aspirations and policy goals. At the Employment Summit in March 2001, the President of the Philippines, Ms Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, referred to decent work and placed employment at the top of her development agenda. The Philippine Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2001-2004 included a separate chapter on “Promoting full, decent and productive employment.”

Employers' and workers’ organizations in the Philippines have used the decent work agenda in their advocacy and work. In support of the efforts of constituents to address Decent Work deficits, the Philippines’ National Action Plan for Decent Work was launched in May 2002. The plan, developed through dialogue with government and representatives of employers and workers organizations, described the framework in which ILO assistance would be provided. The Action Plan underwent revision in April 2002.