A miner wearing a hard hat and protective gear enters a mining tunnel during a safety inspection.

Forced labour

Promoting responsive institutions and mechanisms to eliminate forced labour in the Philippines (PRIME PH)

Funded by the Government of Canada, the project strengthens national systems and partnerships to prevent, address and eliminate forced labour in the Philippines.

Project details

Duration

24 February 2026 - 23 February 2030

Development partner(s)

Government of Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Reference

PHL/25/03/CAN

Location

Philippines

Contact

Ms Ma. Jennylyn Aguinaldo, National Project Coordinator

Additional details

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Forced labour is a serious violation of fundamental principles and rights at work and a profound threat to human dignity. Addressing it requires coordinated action across government, workers’ and employers’ organizations, civil society, businesses and other stakeholders.

Funded by the Government of Canada, the Promoting responsive institutions and mechanisms to eliminate forced labour in the Philippines (PRIME PH) project supports the country in strengthening its capacity to prevent, detect, and eliminate forced labour through stronger institutions, evidence-informed policies and practices, improved protection and access to justice, responsible business conduct, and strengthened partnerships.

Workers at a banana plantation in Davao, Philippines, inspect freshly harvested bananas. — Workers inspect freshly harvested bananas at a plantation in Davao, Philippines.

Project outcomes

Strengthened forced labour prevention and response mechanisms informed by evidence for better targeting, stronger knowledge sharing and scale-up of innovative practices

PRIME PH will generate evidence on forced labour, particularly in high-risk sectors linked to international trade, and adapt ILO forced labour indicators to the Philippine context to strengthen detection, prevention and advocacy.
Improved implementation of national framework and institutional mechanisms in line with international labour standards on forced labour

The project will support policy and legislative assessments, the development of a National Action Plan on Forced Labour, efforts towards ratification of ILO Protocol No. 29, and stronger institutional coordination and social dialogue.
Increased capacity of government institutions and social partners to implement measures to identify forced labour cases, protect victims of forced labour and investigate forced labour cases with a view to prosecution

PRIME PH will strengthen the capacity of government institutions and social partners, improve referral and reintegration pathways, and support stronger complaint, investigation and access-to-justice mechanisms.
Increased capacity of the private sector to conduct due diligence and eliminate risks of forced labour, particularly at the lowest tiers of supply chains, in collaboration with trade unions.

The project will support employers and businesses to conduct forced labour due diligence, strengthen risk mitigation and remediation, and promote participatory grievance mechanisms through social dialogue between workers and employers.
Strengthened inter-agency and sectoral collaboration to tackle the root causes of forced labour in selected supply chains

PRIME PH will bring together buyers, suppliers, government, workers and other stakeholders through action-oriented dialogue to identify risks, strengthen due diligence and remediation, and address broader challenges affecting working conditions and forced labour risks.

Project team

Ms Ma. Jennylyn Aguinaldo

National Project Coordinator
Ms Josephine Bautista

Programme and Administrative Assistant