MANILA, Philippines—Bus drivers should avoid working 14 hours a day to prevent accidents on the road, particularly Commonwealth Avenue, a ranking labor official said Thursday.
According to Labor Undersecretary Lourdes Trasmonte, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has formed an interagency team to study how to improve the health, earnings and working conditions of bus drivers.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, meanwhile, said that she would later issue a department order based on the team’s recommendations and consultations.
“We really need these reforms to avoid further accidents. They work for so long. That’s why they’re very tired and are prone to accidents because of these … working conditions,” Trasmonte said.
“You yourselves, do you want to work for 14 hours? That’s not normal,” she added.
Trasmonte said the team would be composed of officials from the National Wages and Productivity Commission, the Bureau of Working Conditions and the Institute for Labor Studies.
“They will make this study and then consult with the bus operators and drivers. They will look into the proposal that [bus drivers should receive a fixed rate] and their working hours should also be fixed,” Trasmonte said.
“The fixed rate should be above minimum wage. Some bus companies are already giving salaries over and above the minimum wage plus benefits,” she added.
Baldoz said the team would also look into additional incentives for drivers so that they would be more careful in their driving.
“We’re going to conduct [a study] to have [an] idea how much they really earn on a commission basis. We need to study the different dimensions of their problems,” Baldoz told reporters.
“The idea is if there will be a change in the system of fixing their wage, then there should be nondiminution of existing benefits. We will constitute the committee that will study it,” she added.
“If they can finish the study within the month, the findings and recommendations will be subject to consultation with all stakeholders. And if we have a consensus of what is good for everybody—the bus operators, drivers, and the public—then we can issue the department order,” she said. –Philip C. Tubeza, Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines
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