Since 1973, the International labor organization (ILO) through its Technology and Employment Branch has conducted programs on appropriate technology geared towards road construction and maintenance. The various research works conducted in relation to Labor-Based Method (LBM) showed that the technique is technically feasible and economically viable for a wide range of road construction works and maintenance activities. However, when the technique was applied under actual field conditions and with the participation of target rural folks, the resulting operation was never simple and is most cases not easy to implement. It was found out that the successful application of LBM depend much on organizational set-up, program/ project management, field administration and the culture and attitudes of the rural players. The technical and economic factors became only secondary.
This paper describes the experiences of the various Philippine Government agencies task to implement the LB/ESM of construction under their jurisdiction. The various findings and discussions will provide useful background and reference material to those involved in the study of LB or LB/ES method in construction and maintenance activities.