The Philippines continues to gear up for its chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026, emphasizing its focus on peace, security, and people empowerment.
Driving the country’s human resource development agenda is the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which will focus on spearheading workforce development initiatives and shaping regional labor, employment, and skills frameworks.
During the 11th ADB International Education and Skills Forum, held on December 3-5, 2025, at the ADB Headquarters in Manila, DOLE Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres underscored the Philippines’ key initiatives on labor and workforce development, including advancing national projects focused on digital modernization, skills harmonization, and worker protection.
The Philippines is also committed to creating decent jobs and expanding social protection. Such goals are also in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to strengthen the country’s workforce and contribute to the larger regional labor agenda.
“As the Philippines steps into the 2026 ASEAN Chairship, we are prepared to build this momentum into concrete action, championing the institutionalization of skills bodies, advancing the Green Jobs agenda, and leveraging global partnerships such as the Global Accelerator. We are determined to take a leadership role in shaping an agile, skills-based future for ASEAN, ensuring no worker is left behind in the journey toward a just transition,” Undersecretary Torres added.
Noting the success of the ASEAN Year of Skills (AYOS) 2025, which highlighted bridging skills gaps, youth empowerment, and enhancing workforce resilience, Undersecretary Torres outlined the Philippines’ key initiatives for AYOS 2026 will include expanding digital and green skills programs, strengthening work-based learning and apprenticeships, enhancing labor market information systems and skills mapping, promoting public-private-academic collaboration, and advancing just transition initiatives.
Joining Undersecretary Torres in the forum panel were International Labor Organization – Regional Skills Development and Employability Specialist Akiko Sakamoto; Malaysia (Human and Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp.) Head Syed Alwi bin Mohamed Sultan; ADB Deputy Director-General of Southeast Asia Regional Department Pavit Ramachandran; and Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines Head of Cooperation Marco Gemmer.
