• Honourable Undersecretaries Bitonio, Torres, Benavidez and officials from the Department of Labor and Employment,
• Distinguished representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);
• Employers and business leaders;
• Brothers and sisters from workers organizations and trade unions;
• Sector representatives, including from the civil society, and academe;
• Ladies and gentlemen, maayong aga, mayong buntag (good morning)!

Mr Khalid Hassan, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for the Philippines would like to join us today, but he has an equally important commitment, so please allow me to read this message on his behalf.

It is an honour and pleasure for the ILO to join you today in crafting this historic document that brings together decent work priorities identified by tripartite constituents – government, workers and employers.

Your presence and participation indicate your commitment to achieving social justice and decent work for all.

We can all agree that decent work includes productive employment and decent incomes, access to social protection for all, respect and promotion of international labour standards and fundamental principles and rights at work, and social dialogue and strong tripartism to promote better wages and working conditions as well as peace and social justice.

These aspects are crucial for achieving inclusive economic growth in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as outlined in Goal 8 and featured in a number of other SDGs and the country’s Ambisyon 2040.

Decent work must also be the guiding principle of the new Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028. The PDP focuses on reinvigorating job creation, accelerating poverty reduction and effecting economic and social transformation for a prosperous, inclusive and resilient society.

The ILO looks forward to the LEP and its link with the PDP to realize our shared goals for decent work and social justice.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Philippines membership in the ILO. I would like to commend the government, employers and workers – the real ILO – for the collaboration. Specifically, your efforts to promote decent work and advance social justice.

The United Nations Secretary-General launched the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions in September 2021.

The Global Accelerator aims to support the development of integrated and coordinated employment and social protection policies and strategies that facilitate just transitions; establishment of integrated national financing frameworks and the mobilization of resources to invest in universal social protection and inclusive, environment- and gender-responsive employment interventions to create quality jobs; and improvement of multilateral cooperation on jobs and social protection for just transitions.

The ambition of the Global Accelerator is to bring together member States, international financial institutions, social partners, civil society and the private sector to help create 400 million decent jobs, including in the green, digital and care economies. It also aims to extend social protection coverage to the four (4) billion people who are currently excluded.

The Global Accelerator will be instrumental in the Global Coalition for Social Justice that our ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo proposed to forge.

The Global Coalition will help countries address the challenges confronting the world of work. The Coalition will bring together ILO tripartite constituents, organizations from the multilateral system and other stakeholders to raise the profile of social justice and serve as a catalyst for greater partnerships and support for concrete action on the ground.

With the LEP, the ILO envisions the Philippines meeting the goals of the Global Accelerator and the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

Now is the time to identify synergies seize the opportunity that will increase the impact of tripartite constituents’ work to advance decent work.

According to ILO Director-General Houngbo, “the need for more decent work and social justice is clear and urgent.”

Your inputs are vital in setting priorities and addressing present and future challenges in the world of work.

The ILO stands ready to support the Government and social partners in the development of programmes and policies that will make decent work a reality for all.

I wish you all a fruitful and successful consultation, as well as continuous collaboration towards the formulation and implementation of a meaningful Labor and Employment Plan.

Damo nga salamat! Daghang salamat (Thank you very much)!