Featured image above shows Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin (2nd, right), ILO Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan (2nd, left), and DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma (right) at the FOA official launch. (Photo: SDN)
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma has revealed at the end of his speech here that the Freedom of Association (FOA) was elevated by Malacañang to the level of an Executive Order (EO) but was not released because of suspension of work in government.
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MANILA, September 22, 2025 (SDN) — Unionism in the Philippines faces a gauntlet of challenges, or obstacles, among them contractualization, union avoidance tactics that government backs, climate of impunity for anti-union violence, fragmentation & weakness, and red-tagging.
Search the internet on the state of unionism in the Philippines and AI (artificial intelligence) comes up with that assessment.
Does it mean, then, that a strong initiative from the public & private sectors, and international organizations must be put in place to strengthen workers’ freedom of association?
Whatever anyone’s answer, that’s exactly what the Philippine government, supported by the international community, is doing — putting up an initiative aimed at fleshing out the need for workers’ education through the launch today, Monday, of the Freedom of Association (FOA) training resource.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) closely consulting with workers and employers described the initiative as “the new training serves as a vital tool to build awareness, prevent violations, and promote freedom of speech.”
In a statement, DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma cited the importance of upholding the rights of workers on unionism.
“The right to freely associate, to organize, and engage in collective bargaining is not simply a technical matter. It is a human right — because it gives people a voice, protects their dignity, and calls on all of us to take part in building fair and and productive relations at work. It is what allows trust to grow, peace to take hold, and progress to become real in the world of work,” he emphasizes.
Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, who delivered the Keynote Address at the launch event, amplified the DOLE chief’s statement.
“Labor rights are human rights. By protecting freedom of association, we strengthen both our democracy and economy. This launch demonstrates the country’s resolve to uphold these values and promote human rights through democratic institutions that remain strong and by dispensing Justice without fear or discrimination,” Bersamin says.
The statement issued out of the FOA launch noted the initiative as a major step in making sure a stronger implementation of fundamental rights at work and labor education’s expansion, at the same time portraying the training resource as “comprehensive”.
It appears that among the objectives of the new FOA is to arm the agencies of the government, workers, employers, and security forces to better uphold, recognize and implement fundamental labor rights.
The FOA is anchored on the Philippines’ commitment in responding to the findings and recommendations of ILO’s High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) in 2023 on alleged serious violations of trade union rights. “Specifically, the application of the ILO Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948 (No. 47).”
Recommendations came out of the HLTM aimed at fostering greater coordination for the protection of trade union rights, accountability violations related to labor, institutions’ strengthening to better align policies with international labor standards.
The ILO acknowledged that the Philippines has put in place measures to address gaps and challenges.
In relation with this, the government, workers, and employees’ organizations adopted the FOA roadmap that serves the blueprint towards a better application and implementation.
Moreso, Executive Order (EO) No. 23 established the Inter-Agency Committee (IAC) to strengthen the rights of everyone to freely associate and organize as well as linking up regularly with the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (NTIPC) to ensure that the dialogue continues.
FOA to be implemented very soon
ILO Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan acknowledged that progress had been reached.
“Significant progress has been achieved; and we need to continue working together to sustain the efforts. This new training resource is more than a tool. It reflects the country’s commitment to address challenges and implement recommendations for stronger social dialogue and freedom of association,” Hassan reveals.
Covered by the FOA resource training includes five modules on human rights as a pillar of democracy; labor rights and freedom of association in the country; documentation and reporting of violations and workers’ remedies; FOA in the context (of) business and human rights, gender, climate and migration.
In the FOA’s pilot run conducted on August 26-31, 2025, representatives from government agencies, organizations of workers and employers, security forces, and academe undertook the training program as they comprised a pool of trainers.
For the new training resource, the statement from ILO and DOLE said the it will immediately be rolled out to make sure that more audience will be reached. At the same time, it will create a network to ensure its impact towards stronger freedom of association and labor education at the national and local levels.
The FOA training program builds on key information sourced from various training modules, materials, and tools developed and supported by ILO on freedom of association and labor rights.
Attendees at the event comprised of over 100 key officials and representatives from the government, trade unions, workers’ and employers’ organizations, private sector, security forces, academe, civil society organizations (CSOs), and development partners from the international community. — EDD K. Usman (✓)
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