INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations system. Established on 1919, the ILO has been striving for more than 75 years to promote social justice and better living conditions for workers and their families everywhere. Four Asian countries, namely: China, India, Japan, and Thailand participated in the establishment of the ILO in 1919. The ILO, whose efforts were recognized by the award of the Nobel Peace prize in 1969, is unique among world organizations in that workers' and employers' representatives have an equal voice with those of governments in formulating policies.

ILO Manila
Working Together Against Child Labour

Since its membership with ILO in 1948, the Philippines has always been one of the most active members and strongest supporters of ILO policies and programmes. It is a country in which the tripartite structure of the ILO truly functions. An area office was established in Manila in 1970, specifically mandated to deal with ILO programmes in the Philippines and to act as liaison office to the Asian Development Bank.

The Philippines has always been a member of the ILO's Governing Body. For the period 1996-1999, the Philippines sat as a Deputy Member in the Government Group of the Governing Body. For 2002, it is still a Deputy Member. In the Employers' Group, Mr. Ancheta Tan of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, sat as Titular Member. He still serves the Governing Body for the year of 2002 as a Substitute Member. For the Workers' Group, Ms. Consuelo Angco of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines was a Deputy Member. In 1975, Mr. Blas Ople, former Secretary of Labor and Employment, now Secretary of Foreign Affairs, became the first Filipino President of the International Labour Conference. On the other hand, Ms. Nieves R. Confesor became the first Filipino elected chairperson of the Governing Body in 1994-1995.

ILO's NATIONAL ACTION PROGRAMME FOR DECENT WORK

The ILO's Action Programme for Decent Work in the Philippine pursues the overall objective of supporting national efforts to reduce poverty throught the adoption and consistent implementation of appropriate policies and programs that promote full, decent and productive employment of Filipino workers.

This Action Programme provides the overall framework in which ILO assistance for promoting decent work would be provided over the next three years. The programme describes the work to be undertaken under each of the ILO's four strategic objectives that encompass the decent work agenda. To sustain and complement those activites, integrated programme responses will be provided to address priority concerns of the country and its people namely, gaining from globalization through boosted competitiveness and employment and alleviating poverty incidences on the most seriously affected Filipinos in rural and urban areas.

The Action Programme for Decent Work is an evolving document that was prepared in consultation with its constituents and will be updated and refined through tripartite monitoring consultations.

PROMOTING DECENT WORK AND THE ROLE OF THE ILO

Decent work is the integration of the four strategic objectives of the International Labour Organization (ILO) - rights at work, employment, social protection and social dialogue. The promotion of decent work for all women and men is the overarching objective of the ILO.

In the Philippines, the ILO's work has increasingly focused on supporting the government and workers' and employers' organizations to move towards an integrated approach to the creation of decent work. At the Thirteenth ILO Asian Regional Meeting (2001), the delegates "urged all members States in the region to define, through a tripartite process, a national plan of action for decent work". The ILO was requested to "provide assistance to the tripartite constituents in the design of these national plans of action".

The ILO's Action Programme for Decent Work in the Phlippines is a response to this call for assistance.

CONTACT US:

Address:
ILO/UN
29th Floor, Yuchengco Tower
RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, Philippines

Tel. No.:

TEL (632) 901-01-00
FAX (632) 901-02-00

Web Site: http://www.ilo.org/manila

E-mail: manila@ilomnl.org.ph