The Philippines launched new training programs to protect workers’ rights to organize and join unions, addressing past violations of trade union freedoms, according to an International Labour Organization (ILO) announcement. The Department of Labor and Employment worked with the ILO to create five training modules that teach government officials, workers, employers, and security forces about freedom of association rights.
The program came after a 2023 ILO mission found serious problems with how the Philippines was protecting union organizers and collective bargaining rights. Over 100 officials from government, unions, businesses, and civil society groups joined the launch event. The training will now roll out across the country to reach more people.
The ILO sent a high-level team to the Philippines in 2023 after getting reports of union rights violations. The mission found gaps in how the country was following international labor standards, especially the Freedom of Association Convention from 1948. Since then, the Philippines has been working to fix these problems and better protect workers who want to organize.
“The right to freely associate, to organize, and to engage in collective bargaining is not simply a technical matter,” said Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma. “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 productive relations at work.” The training covers human rights, labor laws, how to report violations, and connections between worker rights and business, gender, climate, and migration issues. Canada and the European Union helped fund the program.
The government set up an Inter-Agency Committee under Executive Order 23 to better coordinate protection of union rights. A pilot training program ran from August 26-31, 2025, preparing trainers from different sectors to spread the lessons nationwide.
The new training aims to strengthen democracy and human rights by making sure workers and employers can participate freely in workplace decisions and collective bargaining.
