The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is strengthening its campaign for safer and healthier workplaces.
On October 6-7, it gathered employers and occupational safety and health (OSH) practitioners and advocates at the 19th National Occupational Safety and Health (NOSH) Congress to discuss challenges, share best practices, and to draw up strategies to boost compliance with workplace safety and health standards.
The two-day Congress opened with discussions led by advocates and experts on strengthening governance and policy for a sustainable future, addressing emerging OSH challenges, and promoting the digital transformation of safety, health, and welfare programs. It also highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to managing hazards and risks in the workplace.
On the second day, sessions focused on expanding preventive policies to protect workers, building workforce capacity in OSH, and showcasing effective practices to address challenges brought about by changing work environments.
Speaking before hundreds of participants at the Yuichi Ichikawa Hall of the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) in Quezon City, Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma stressed that safe and healthy working conditions are “non-negotiable” even in the smallest of enterprises.
Although compliance of workplaces with general labor standards has improved to 85% in 2024, the Secretary said the DOLE, together with its partners, continue to implement initiatives to further protect workers’ safety and welfare.
These include the strengthened implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law through Department Order No. 252, Series of 2025 to address recurring non-compliances and violations more effectively; the issuance of Department Order No. 253, Series of 2025 on living standards for construction workers; and the launch of the National OSH Strategy 2024-2028, which outlines the specific responsibilities and commitments of all stakeholders.
It can be recalled that President Marcos, in this year’s Labor Day celebrations, reaffirmed the government’s steadfast commitment to ensuring that every worker enjoys a safe workplace, fair wages, and just treatment, while fully advancing international labor standards, including the rights to freedom of association, to organize, and to the protection of human rights.
