The Philippines, through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is pushing for its draft recommendations to advance safe migration and decent work in Southeast Asia.
The DMW said the proposals, drafted during the 18th ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labor (AFML) Philippines National Tripartite Preparatory Workshop in Pasay City on Thursday, would help strengthen ASEAN’s regional commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of migrant workers.
“The creation and implementation of policies for safe labor migration and welfare of migrant workers will not just benefit overseas Filipino workers, but also all migrant workers in ASEAN for an inclusive growth in the region,” DMW Assistant Secretary Levinson Alcantara said.
Through technical support from the International Labor Organization (ILO), delegates from the government, employer groups, workers’ representatives, and civil society collaborated to ensure that the recommendations directly support the ASEAN’s long-term labor migration framework and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Philippines drafted 22 recommendations that include concrete measures to ensure all national programs comprehensively address the needs of migrant workers and their families.
Key measures include revising labor migration policies for better protection, full labor rights and social protection, addressing deceptive recruitment, forced labor as a criminal offense, and empowering workers through access to information under SDG 8.7.
For SDG 8.8.1, the proposal cited the need for stronger enforcement of occupational safety and health (OSH) in migrant workers-dominated sectors, and the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration and Guidelines on Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers.
To address SDG 8.8.2, the recommendation is to implement a more lenient law for migrant workers to enjoy freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Indicator 8.8.2 measures the level of national compliance with labor rights, including freedom of association and collective bargaining, based on ILO textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status.
Meanwhile, on SDG 10.7.1, measuring recruitment cost borne by employees as a proportion of monthly income earned in the country of destination, participants pushed for measures that will protect workers and employers alike from unjust recruitment fees.
On the issue of remittance costs under SDG 10.c, migrant workers’ inclusion and access to safe and affordable remittance services were recommended.
