MANILA, Philippines — Labor ministers of the Associaton of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have endorsed four measures that would strengthen worker protection, promote fair recruitment and improve safety and labor standards in the workplace, the Department of Labor and Employment said on Friday.
DOLE said these measures on labor market and social resilience, fair and ethical recruitment, occupational safety and health in the informal sector, and labor inspection in the fishing industry were contained in documents that would be submitted to the 49th Asean Summit in November for adoption and notation by the region's leaders.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, who represented the Philippines in the labor ministers' meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, also met with Asean Secretariat Deputy Secretary-General for the Asean Socio-Cultural Community San Lwin on Aug. 27, 2026 to discuss how the agreements could be translated into regional programs.
DOLE said the discussions covered initiatives on green jobs, skills training and labor inspection, as well as proposed regional guidelines for workers in the platform economy.
The Philippines is also preparing to host the 2026 Asean Green Jobs Forum in Manila and woud preside over the 115th International Labour Conference in 2027, DOLE said.
