The country’s largest coalition of employers and business owners urged companies and schools to follow government health and safety advisories on heat stress prevention as the hot dry season approaches.
Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said that while these advisories from agencies like the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Health (DOH) should be observed, they should also be practical and not applied indiscriminately.
He said businesses and schools should have the flexibility to implement commonsense measures suited to their specific conditions.
Ortiz-Luis, speaking in an online interview on Feb. 27, 2025, noted that smaller companies, schools without air-conditioning and field workers are most vulnerable to extreme heat.
He cautioned against one-size-fits-all regulations, arguing that excessive restrictions—such as school and workplace closures—could lead to unnecessary disruptions.
“It’s easy to make broad recommendations, but we must be careful. Advisories should continue, but there’s no need to overreact,” he said, warning against measures that could negatively impact business operations and student learning.
Ortiz-Luis suggested issuing simple guidelines while allowing workplaces to take practical steps, such as ensuring proper ventilation and providing ample drinking water.
“No company wants heat-related accidents. Employers will naturally take precautions. Situations vary—some schools have air-conditioning. A blanket policy would be a waste of learning hours due to overreaction,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ortiz-Luis acknowledged the yearly addition of 800,000 to one million new workers to the labor market, but said job opportunities remain insufficient to meet the growing demand.
ECOP and other business groups continue to organize job fairs in malls, but Ortiz-Luis said the real solution lies in attracting investments to generate employment.