More than 400,000 workers have been regularized since President Duterte assumed office in 2016 according to data released by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).
The most number, it said, was attributed last year where 320,999 workers were regularized.
The rest of the total figure was recorded in 2017 where 53,542 has been regularized and the remaining 39,999 was in 2016.
In the first quarter of this year alone, over 21,000 workers from the private sector have been regularized.
The release of the figures on Labor Day was part of DoLE’s efforts to debunk claims that the Duterte administration has been remiss in its promise to end contractualization in the labor sector.
Data from DoLE shows that from January to April of this year, a total 21,248 private workers have been regularized. This include 19,147 and 2,101 workers regularized through voluntary regularization and through inspection, respectively.
DoLE said it has undertaken measures to ensure the effective implementation of the Department Order 174, Series of 2017, which include regularization of workers through inspection, deputization of trade unions and employer organizations to participate in the inspection of establishments’ compliance to labor laws and social legislations.
While there are still a number of companies found engaging in labor-only contracting or other non-permissible contracting/subcontracting arrangements in violation of the right to security of tenure, DoLE Assistant Secretary Benjo Benavidez is optimistic that the state of workers in the country has improved under the Duterte administration.
“Yes, it has improved because as we can see, many employers have implemented voluntary regularization. Based on our data, around 65 percent of regularized workers were voluntarily regularized, meaning it was out of the companies’ actions which they did even without us doing inspections so it is more favorable,” he said.
Meanwhile, up to 3,198 applicants were hired on-the-spot in the nationwide “Build, Build, Build-Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (BBB-TNK) Job Fair” held as part of the Labor Day observance Wednesday.
A total of 31 BBB-TNK job fairs were held in various parts of the country as part of the Duterte administrations efforts to give jobs to Filipinos in line with the “Build, Build Build” infrastructure program.
Among the positions filled up were those for call center agents, ESL teachers, office clerks, production workers and service crew.
The BBB-TNK job fair was participated in by 1,045 companies that offered 203,897 positions here and abroad.
In Capas, Tarlac, around 6,000 construction workers of the New Clark City (NCC) were given due recognition for their contributions to the “Build, Build, Build” Program in a post-Labor Day tribute held at the site of construction of the NCC National Government Administrative Center (NGAC).
The tribute to workers was led by Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president and chief Executive officer (CEO) Vivencio Dizon.
The officials commended the workers for their hard work and efficiency in ensuring the completion of Phase 1A of the NCC-NGAC, a BCDA project, remains on track.
source: tribune.net.ph