Global Accelerator
Philippines validates landmark roadmap to create decent work, expand social protection
The Philippines, as a UN Global Accelerator pathfinder country, convened a National Validation Workshop to finalize a strategic roadmap aimed at promoting decent work, expanding social protection, and driving inclusive growth in the high-potential construction and transportation sectors.
9 September 2025
MANILA (ILO News) – The Philippines through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in collaboration with the Global Accelerator Technical Working Group (GA-TWG) and United Nations key partners, convened a National Validation Workshop to finalize the country’s strategic roadmap for advancing decent work and social protection under the Global Accelerator (GA) Initiative.
The national validation held on 8 September 2025 in Makati City gathered representatives from government agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, development partners and industry representatives to review the draft Global Accelerator Roadmap. This critical document is designed to serve as the national framework for promoting decent jobs, expanding social protection, and facilitating just transitions, specifically focusing on the high-growth transportation and construction sectors.
The national validation and earlier regional consultations are integral to a broader UN Joint Programme, backed by the Joint SDG Fund and carried out collaboratively by the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Philippines as pathfinder country
The Philippines proudly embraced its role as a pathfinder country under the UN Global Accelerator initiative in March 2024, committing to accelerate job creation, strengthen social protection systems, and promote just transitions. The nation is currently in seventh stage of the prescribed country engagement process, making the validation workshop a pivotal opportunity to accelerate progress towards comprehensive employment and social protection for all Filipinos.
“This gathering is more than a technical exercise but a milestone in our collective journey to ensure that every Filipino worker has access to decent work, social protection, and lifelong opportunities for development,” said DOLE Undersecretary for Employment and Human Resource Development Cluster Carmela Torres as she underscored the significance of the endeavour.
Undersecretary Torres confirmed that the Trabaho Para Sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council (TPB-IAC) will serve as the National Steering Committee of the Global Accelerator responsible for overseeing the roadmap's implementation. She emphasized the need to align the roadmap with existing national plans.
Drawing on background data presented by DOLE, the focus sectors, specifically construction and transportation, registered employment growth higher than the 3.1 per cent average growth of all sectors (18.1 per cent and 5.3 per cent, respectively). However, workers in these sectors face persistent issues, including job insecurity, lack of social protection, weak Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) compliance, and limited access to training.
The draft roadmap proposes concrete strategies, such as promoting industry-wide certification for construction workers, expanding voluntary pension schemes, improving dual training, and improving transport safety and essential healthcare for transportation workers.
A call for bold action
“The Global Accelerator ambition is clear: create 400 million decent jobs globally and extend universal social protection to over 4 billion people currently left behind,” said Director Khalid Hassan of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines as he highlighted the transformative global ambition of the Global Accelerator.
ILO Director Hassan challenged stakeholders to innovate and avoid stagnation, stating that the consultation is not routine and must elevate standards.
“Go beyond business as usual. If our roadmap simply duplicates existing plans and policies, we will have failed. What innovative reforms or bold partnerships can truly change outcomes,” Director Hassan emphasized. He further warned that without bold action, the country risks leaving behind the very workers who keep the nation moving.
The Philippines’ commitment to multi-stakeholder partnerships as DOLE underscored is considered a comparative advantage among the 18 pathfinder countries worldwide, bringing together government, UN agencies, employers, and workers’ organizations to co-develop inclusive solutions.
The result of the validation workshop is a refined Global Accelerator Roadmap, which will be recommended for presentation to the TPB-IAC in November 2025.
“Our success will not only uplift Filipino workers and their families, but it will also serve as a beacon for other nations, demonstrating that with political will, social dialogue, and shared responsibility, we can achieve growth that is both equitable and sustainable,” DOLE Undersecretary Torres concluded.
