Hon Particia Sto. Tomas, Secretary DOLE
Atty Democrito Mendoza, President TUCP
Atty Rene Soriano, President ECOP
Dr. Heinz Bongartz, Resident Representative FES
USec Manuel Imson, DOLE
Ed Dr. Dulce Gust, OSHC, DOLE
Participants, ladies and gentlemen….

Good morning!

It is an honor and a pleasure for me, on behalf of the ILO Subregional Office for South-East Asia and the Pacific (ILO SRO Manila), to address this 9th National Occupational Safety and Health Congress with its theme, Occupational Safety and Health: Essential for Decent Work.

Occupational safety and health has been a central issue for the ILO ever since its creation in 1919 and continues to be a fundamental requirement for achieving the Decent Work Agenda. The National Plan of Action for Decent Work for the Philippines has integrated issues and responses on the occupational and health concerns of the country.

Indeed, the magnitude of global impact of occupational accidents and diseases, as well as major industrial disasters, in terms of human suffering and related economic costs, have been a long-standing source of concern at workplace, national, and international levels. The ILO estimates 2 million workers die each year from work-related accident and diseases, and that globally this figure is increasing.

Occupational safety and health, as we know is an essential part of social relations. As such it is affected by the same forces of change in both national and global socio-economic contexts. Hence, effects of demographic factors, employment shifts and work organization changes, gender differentiation, the size, structure and life cycles of enterprises, and most of all, the fast pace of technological progress --- are examples of key issues that can create new types of patterns of hazards, exposures, and risks.

The ILO, in close collaboration with our tripartite constituents, has continuously explored and worked to address such issues. The fundamental pillars of a global OSH strategy include the building and maintenance of a national preventive safety and health culture at work. It also calls for an integrated action that better links the ILO standards with other means of action as advocacy, awareness raising, knowledge development and management, information dissemination and technical cooperation to maximize impact.

We also need to continue to face the challenges of extending preventive safety and health practices for smaller business entities and those which are in the informal economy.

Today, we are now equipped with effective legal and technical tools, methodologies, and measures to prevent occupational accidents and diseases but still there is a need for an increased general awareness of the importance of OSH as well as a high level of political commitment for effective implementation of national OSH systems.

We commend the Occupational Safety and Health Center for holding this yearly National Congress on OSH as this could raise widespread awareness on the importance of OSH and promoting rights of workers to a safe and healthy working environment. This year’s theme, Occupational Safety and Health: Essential for Decent Work sits very well in the Decent Work National Action Plan of the Philippines. Likewise, the focus of this congress on: Good OSH Practices and Programs; Emerging, Re-emerging and constant hazards and risks; and Laws, Policies and Regulations, Standards on OSH are all vital components of a national OSH programme.

While this forum is led by our government partner, we are aware of the active participation of the workers’ and employers’ organizations as they have their own share of implementing good OSH programs in their respective domains. There is need, however, for tripartite commitment and national action in fostering a preventive approach and a safety and health culture.

The ILO, specifically our Sub-regional office for South-East Asia and the Pacific, will continue to provide technical assistance to our tripartite constituents for timely strengthening of national OSH capacities, developing methodologies and improved information exchange to achieve lasting improvements in promoting safety and health at work. This is of particular significance in the context of rapid changes in the global economy and technology. Finally, and tho quote the ILO Director General: “The ILO and its constituents must be leaders in promoting occupational safety and health at work. Together we must build the partnerships that are needed to bring about changes we seek because Decent Work must be SafeWork.”

I look forward to building this partnership through this congress. I wish you all fruitful discussions in this Forum. Good day to all of you!!!