Backed by the European Union and led by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the program was officially relaunched through the first Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting held on June 4 at the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in Manila. The meeting brought together government agencies, workers’ and employers’ groups, civil society organizations, and international partners to finalize a national work plan that will guide activities from 2025 to 2028.

“This program is a timely and strategic initiative that aligns with our national priorities to protect and empower our sea-based workers,” said DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome Pampolina in a statement delivered by Sea-Based Accreditation Bureau Director Augusto San Diego III.

Around 4,300 Filipino fishers are deployed each year to foreign fishing vessels, with many exposed to harsh working conditions, abusive employers, or exploitative recruiters. The Ship to Shore Rights program aims to change that by promoting ethical recruitment, access to legal aid, financial literacy, and reintegration support, while encouraging responsible business conduct among licensed manning agencies.

“The PAC will serve as a vital mechanism for ensuring that our work is grounded in the realities of those most affected—our migrant fishers and their communities,” said Khalid Hassan, ILO Country Director for the Philippines, of the program that is subtitled Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy.

“Through inclusive dialogue and evidence-based policymaking, we aim to create safer, fairer, and more sustainable conditions for all workers,” Hassan added in a media release.

The Philippines is also looking to advance the ratification of the ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention No. 188, a global treaty ensuring fishers have decent conditions on board vessels—from minimum age and working hours to medical care, food, and accommodation. The Convention also provides a mechanism for foreign port inspections to ensure compliance.

The national work plan features four main pillars:

1. Regional cooperation on labor migration and inspection standards across ASEAN;
2. Legal and policy reform, including pushing for Convention 188 ratification and stronger recruitment regulations;
3. Responsible business conduct, through technical assistance to agencies and fair recruitment guidelines; and
4. Worker empowerment, by boosting access to support services and collective bargaining.

The ILO is implementing the program in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Locally, it works closely with the Licensed Manning Agencies for Fishers (LMAF) to ensure ethical deployment practices.

For Filipino workers and manning agencies alike, the relaunch marks a strong step forward in making overseas employment in the fisheries sector safer, fairer, and more sustainable.

The next PAC meeting is scheduled for June 2026.

Parents of child laborers and former child workers themselves are learning new ways to earn a living through a unique livelihood project that doesn’t just survive the floods; it thrives in them.

Through the Achieving Reduction of Child Labor In Support of Education (ARISE) project, the International Labor Organization (ILO), with funding support from the Government of Japan, is introducing climate-resilient livelihoods like duck raising and floating vegetable gardens.

The project is one of the first in Cotabato City to directly link child labor reduction with community climate adaptation, tackling two urgent issues—poverty-driven child labor and worsening climate impacts—at once.

“We can still earn an income if this continues because the floating garden will not be destroyed even when there are floods. The ducks, when they lay eggs, can be used to make salted eggs and balut,” said Alibai Fatima, 23, a former child laborer who grew up working in the dumpsite of Poblacion 9.

(Balut, a fertilized duck egg delicacy boiled and eaten from the shell, is a popular street food in the Philippines.)

Floods frequently disrupt traditional livelihoods in Cotabato City, but floating gardens—made from easily available water hyacinths—and duck farming are proving to be resilient alternatives.

This innovative approach was implemented in partnership with the Cotabato City Agriculture Office and the Integrated Resource Development for Tri-people Inc. (IRDT).

The community-focused initiative could not come at a more crucial time. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has the third-highest number of child laborers in the country, according to a 2022 Philippine Statistics Authority study. Many of these children are found working in hazardous conditions, including dumpsites.

Fatima Pantao, 30, knows this hardship all too well. “We have lived in the dumpsite for 10 years. Three of my children work with me at the dumpsite for our family to survive. We were identified and profiled to be part of this training. Our income from scavenging is not enough, and this will help us,” she said.

Parents like Pantao were identified through the pilot testing of a Child Labor Monitoring System developed by ILO with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and local partners. The system helps communities recognize and respond to hazardous child labor, offering families a lifeline out of generational poverty.

As part of the project, a referral network of Community-Based Service Outlets (CBSOs) is being set up to strengthen support systems for families transitioning to these new livelihoods. Community organizations are also being formed to sustain the work.

For Vice-President Misuari Ulama of one such group, the benefits are clear.

“The duck raising and floating garden can help increase our income. We can sell our vegetables in the market and grow our business as a community,” he said. “This ILO project can also withstand floods. The garden will simply absorb and float. We also build it using resources such as water hyacinths, which are abundant in our area. These water hyacinths will also be used to create handicrafts.”

Trainings were held at the Climate Smart Agriculture Training Center and the Senior Citizen Hall in Cotabato City, with hands-on sessions conducted directly in Poblacion 9. Beyond technical skills, participants also receive training in financial literacy and organizational management—tools to ensure that these new ventures are sustainable in the long run.

The project is aligned with the work of the Cotabato City Council Against Child Labor (CCCACL), an ILO-supported initiative working toward the elimination of child labor in the city.

By combining sustainable livelihoods with climate resilience, the ARISE project is sowing more than seeds of vegetables—it’s sowing seeds of change. For many in Cotabato City’s most vulnerable communities, it’s the first time in years they can look to the future with hope instead of despair.

According to a new report from the International Labor Organization (ILO), meaningful collaboration between governments, employers, and workers is critical to solving major global issues while ensuring fairness and inclusivity.

What Is social dialogue? Social dialogue involves governments, employers, and workers coming together to discuss, negotiate, and consult on economic and social policies.

When done effectively, this cooperation—called peak-level social dialogue (PLSD)—can help create better jobs, fair wages, and a just transition to green and digital economies.

The ILO report reveals that countries with strong social dialogue are better at addressing challenges like climate change and technological disruptions. However, the ability of social dialogue to create real change is weakened when governments prioritize short-term goals and exclude key voices.

Why is social dialogue Is being overlooked? The ILO found that many governments fail to follow through on agreements made through social dialogue.

Many governments also neglect to include underrepresented groups, such as women, young people, and informal workers, in decision-making processes.

Worse, violations of workers’ rights, including the freedom to organize and bargain collectively, have increased by 7% globally since 2015.

What are the risks of ignoring social dialogue? Without social dialogue, policies addressing major crises often lack public support and fail to meet the needs of all groups.

For example: Climate change policies need buy-in from workers and employers to ensure fair transitions to green jobs. Digital transformation requires consensus on how to manage automation and protect jobs. Economic inequality can be tackled more effectively through collective bargaining and wage negotiations.

The ILO report highlights examples of successful social dialogue:

In minimum wages, countries that involve workers and employers in setting wage policies see better results in reducing income inequality.

In green and digital transitions, social dialogue has helped countries like those in Europe develop policies for decarbonization and digitalization that are fair and widely supported.

To make real progress on global issues, according to the ILO report, governments must:

• Respect workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively.
• Invest in social dialogue institutions by providing resources and training.
• Include underrepresented groups in decision-making.
• Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of social dialogue in shaping policies.

Why does social dialogue matter? Social dialogue is not just about better labor policies—it’s about creating solutions that work for everyone.

Governments that ignore this process risk missing the opportunity to address urgent global challenges like climate change in a fair and sustainable way. It’s time for leaders to embrace dialogue, not just as a tool for negotiation, but as a path to progress.

The 2024 Social Dialogue Report emphasizes “peak-level social dialogue” (PLSD), where representatives of governments, employers, and workers come together to discuss and negotiate key labor, economic, and social issues.

The report shows that this approach can lead to better job opportunities, fairer wages, and smoother transitions to greener and more digital economies, a news release from the ILO said.

However, the report warns that PLSD works best when basic labor rights, such as the freedom to organize and the right to collective bargaining, are respected.

Unfortunately, global compliance with these rights has dropped by 7% from 2015 to 2022 due to increasing violations of workers’ and employers’ rights.

Benefits and challenges

The report says social dialogue institutions exist in 87% of ILO member countries, and most workers and employers view them as effective. However, the process often overlooks women, young people, and workers in informal sectors, limiting its inclusiveness.

Social dialogue has played a role in addressing pressing issues like the cost-of-living crisis. For instance, countries that combine government-set minimum wages with collective bargaining achieve better results in reducing wage inequality.

Collaboration through PLSD is helping countries manage shifts to cleaner energy and digital economies. However, this is more common in regions like Europe, where social dialogue systems are well-established.

The ILO report thus urges countries to:

• Uphold labor rights like freedom of association and collective bargaining.
• Equip labor organizations with the resources they need to engage effectively.
• Make social dialogue more inclusive, ensuring women, youth, and informal workers are represented.
• Regularly evaluate how social dialogue impacts decision-making and outcomes.

Over a hundred informal workers in Siargao have registered at a One-stop services, gaining access to social protection, livelihood support, and employment opportunities.

The ILO and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have partnered with Lokal Lab at the Tinabangay (helping together in the local dialect) to hold a One-stop service registration held on 29-30 November 2024 in General Luna, the tourism hub.

The initiative assisted hundreds of informal workers in the agro-fishery, tourism, digital freelance, and micro and small enterprise sectors under the ILO’s Rise from multiple crises through the integrated formalization of informal economy and Rebuilding Better Coconut Economy projects.

Siargao, a famous surfing destination, relies heavily on tourism and agriculture. However, farmers, fishers and tourism operators become increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Stronger typhoons and environmental shocks have pushed many into poverty, worsened by limited access to social protection.

“We provide an integrated and streamlined social protection registration to support farmers, fishers, tourism and informal economy workers. As a one-stop seamless process, they are not just prepared but also protected against economic shocks and climate change,” said Linartes Viloria, ILO National Project Coordinator.

The ILO’s World Social Protection Report 2024-26 highlights how social protection helps people adapt and cope with climate shocks by providing income security and healthcare access. It also serves as cushion for families, workers and businesses during the green transition, promoting sustainable economic practices.

The DOLE has extended livelihood support to disadvantaged and displaced workers through its TUPAD program. This community-based safety net initiative provides temporary employment to workers in the informal economy.

“We are committed to supporting the transition of informal economy workers to the formal sector. Through this, we bring livelihood support and extend social protection and employment services directly and reach those vulnerable to climate change,” said DOLE Caraga Regional Director Atty. Joffrey Suyao.

Featuring the ILO’s Single window service model, the One-stop Island Services brought together the Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and local governments in providing registration services and information sessions.

Siargao has been identified in labor inspections as an area needing improvement in social protection compliance, with many workers lacking the necessary registration and understanding of its importance.

The initiative aims to build a more resilient and inclusive island by educating workers on the importance and benefits of social protection. This is in addition to providing a comprehensive and integrated approach for entrepreneurship and employment facilitation.

This initiative, supported by the ILO’s Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA) with contributions from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Spain, aims to promote decent work and extend social protection.

Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr. of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) deposited the instruments of ratification to ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo. “Convention No. 81 is the 41st convention that the Philippines has ratified, and the second this year under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” said Bitonio. He said the ratification strengthens the labor inspectorate system to ensure decent, safe, and secure working conditions.

Director-General Houngbo welcomed the development, stating, “This convention plays a pivotal role in ensuring decent work through rigorous enforcement of national laws related to working conditions. With today’s ratification, the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to enforcing legal provisions that uphold the conditions of work and the protection of workers.”

The Labor Inspection Convention establishes a framework for inspections aimed at ensuring safe and fair workplaces.

Workers and businesses stand to gain from its provisions.

Ordinary workers benefit from enhanced workplace safety, confidential reporting of violations, and access to technical advice and information on their rights. Unionized workers gain stronger negotiating power and tools for advocacy, while non-unionized workers enjoy equal protections, ensuring fairness across all sectors.

The convention creates a level playing field by holding all employers accountable to labor laws. Clear enforcement mechanisms also foster a safer and more productive workforce, reducing costs associated with workplace accidents or disputes.

Despite the apparent benefits, the road to ratification was long. Senator Imee Marcos, during a Senate hearing in April, expressed bewilderment at the delay, considering the Philippines’ progressive labor code. “Why did it take so long? These concerns are already contained in municipal laws. I am perplexed by this length of time,” she said.

Now, with ratification achieved, the Philippines reinforces its position as a regional leader in labor rights and compliance, underscoring its dedication to social justice and decent work for all.