Securing, sharing fruits of growth

(Statement of Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz of the Department of Labor and Employment, Republic of the Philippines at the 100th  Session of the International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, June, 2011.)

MANILA, Philippines — Mr. President I congratulate you for your competent leadership of the Conference in its 100th Session.

I also commend the Director-General for his compelling report calling for a new era of social justice anchored on sustainable development. Twenty-five years after the People Power Revolution that restored democracy in the country, the Filipino nation under the leadership of President Benigno S. Aquino III is constructing a new era of social justice where decent and productive work is the linchpin of inclusive growth.

Labor and employment agenda toward inclusive growth and better decent work outcomes

President Aquino’s Social Contract with the Filipino People, embodied in the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, envisions inclusive growth that massively creates local jobs, sustains real economy enterprises, produces decent, work outcomes, and empowers our people to rise above poverty.

It promotes equal gender opportunity, provides responsive social safety nets, encourages sustainable use of resources, and harnesses tripartism and social dialogue for greater representation and accountability. It is founded on good governance, anti-corruption measures, and transparency.

A key element of this plan is the Philippine Labor and Employment Sectoral Plan and the Philippine Jobs Pact, our contribution to the ILO’s Global Jobs Pact.

In pursuit of full employment and decent work, the plan addresses jobs and skills mismatch and employability through reforms in the education and training system and strong government-academe-industry tie-ups. It identifies jobs growth sectors and links short-term income support with improved infrastructure and economic development priorities.

A workable convergence plan and partnership between the government and the private sector, particularly our social partners, is firmly established to ensure its successful implementation.

The plan recognizes sustained increases in labor productivity growth in real economy enterprises as key to poverty reduction and improvement in living standards. To address decent work deficits in this area, it provides demand-driven skills training programs, active employment facilitation services, and effective occupational safety and health programs.

It introduces reforms toward better social protection floor in the wage setting system to ensure greater access to social security, provide income support for workers with special concerns, and extend enhanced social protection for temporary laid-off workers including consideration for unemployment insurance.

The plan includes measures that protect our migrant workers against risks and a wholistic reintegration program for returnees. We welcome the adoption of the proposed Convention and Recommendation on Domestic Workers by the committee chaired by the Philippines, affirming our policy of promotion and protection of rights of Filipino domestic workers anywhere in the world.

We expect the conference to adopt the historic instrument at the plenary and for the ILO to immediately initiate actions for its promotion towards its widest observance and ratification.

The plan also pushes a legislative agenda to modernize the labor laws, ensure inclusive sectoral representation in policy- and decision-making bodies in government. It promotes better compliance with labor standards through tripartite social audits, and encourages mutually agreed employment relations to balance workers’ rights under ratified labor conventions with business competitiveness.

It adopts labor market governance to protect public interest and dispense labor justice through efficient and credible dispute settlement system.

Social partnership and Philippine development goal

We have effectively used tripartism and social dialogue at national and local levels to forge social consensus, achieve greater policy coherence and effective program implementation. Various reforms under the plan are bearing concrete results, receiving commendations from the social partners and our publics.

Indeed, a new era of social justice and sustainable development requires stronger public-private partnerships in many areas across and beyond national borders. These include institutional capacity-building and information-sharing, particularly on supply and demand for labor. Our human capiital must be our shared resource to be nurtured, protected, and guaranteed access to better employment opportunities anywhere.

Let us continue working together in minimizing risks and vulnerabilities in the world of work for growth and development to be sustainable.

Finally, Mr. President, we value ILO’s continuing support to our development agenda which represents the Philippines’ contribution to the crafting of the new era of social justice and sustainable development and reaffirms our commitment to the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization.

Thank you.
–ROSALINDA DIMAPILIS BALDOZ Secretary-Department of Labor and Employment