Photo courtesy of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) convened the two-day 15th ASEAN Labour Inspection Conference (ALIC) in Clark, Pampanga, leading multinational discussions aimed at enforcing strict labor standards to protect workers across the region from unsafe conditions, excessive working hours, wage underpayment, and other labor-standard violations.
Centered around the theme “Strengthening Labour Inspection in Global and Regional Supply Chains: Accountability, Transparency, and Decent Work,” Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino reinforced the strategic value of labor inspectors, noting that their safety assessments are essential to maintaining healthy labor relations and protecting worker welfare.
“Behind every safe workplace is an inspector who took the time to look, to ask, and to listen… Labour inspection is not merely enforcement. It is prevention, education, and partnership. A good inspector does not only find violations; he or she helps employers understand their duties, helps workers know their rights, and helps build a culture in which compliance is a shared value and not a burden,” the Labor Chief said.
Secretary Tolentino also said decent work is a cornerstone of employee welfare, noting that essential protections—such as health and safety standards, equitable wages, and stable employment—directly improve the lives of everyday workers.
“Decent work means safety, fair pay, security, the freedom to be heard, and respect for human dignity. Compliance on paper is not enough. Our measure of success is what changes in the lives of workers,” the Labor chief added.
Meanwhile, International Labour Organization (ILO) Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan stressed that strong labor inspection systems are essential for shielding workers.
“A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work… Workers need safe ways to raise their concerns. Public labor inspection remains an inspection responsibility of the state. Our institutions must adapt and enact to these realities. Workers should not have to wait until they are injured or exploited before protection comes,” ILO Director Hassan said.
Secretary Tolentino, alongside delegates from various ASEAN member states, also spearheaded the launch of the ASEAN Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health in the Informal Sector and ASEAN Guidelines on Strengthening Labour Inspection in the Fishing Sector, marking a significant step toward improving workplace safety standards across the region.
By supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Strategic Plan, and the ASEAN Labor Inspection Committee (ALICOM) Work Plan, the ASEAN Labor Inspection Conference serves as the main framework guiding how labor rules and goals are carried out across all member countries.
The conference enables ASEAN Member States to exchange national experiences and labour inspection practices; discuss common and emerging enforcement challenges; strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of labour inspectorates; promote cooperation among governments, employers, workers, and international organizations; develop recommendations and strategic directions for regional action; and support the implementation of ASEAN commitments on labour standards, occupational safety and health, and decent work.
Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to the workforce, DOLE continues to strengthen policies and field inspections to ensure every Filipino worker works in a secure environment. | via DOLE
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