US to boost PHL labor inspection capacity with $1M grant

Philippine workers stand to benefit from a $1-million technical assistance grant from the United States to boost the Philippine government's labor inspection capacity.

The Philippine embassy in Washington D.C. welcomed the US International Labor Affairs Bureau's grant, which was awarded to the International Labor Organization.

"The assistance will further accelerate our compliance with global labor standards,” said Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr.

He added this targeted technical cooperation assistance "impacts significantly the promotion of labor standards enforcement and compliance in the Philippines and ensures the protection of workers rights to decent employment.”

According to the embassy, the grant seeks to help improve the effectiveness of occupational safety and health and labor rights monitoring by workers, employers and their representatives.

It added the US ILAB cited the steps taken by the country to increase staff and enhance technology in labor inspections.

"(T)he grant will assist in these efforts by improving labor law compliance and labor rights monitoring," it said.

ILAB’s Office of Trade and Labor Affairs currently provides $76 million in technical assistance to improve worker rights, livelihoods and labor law compliance in more than 72 countries.

Labor Attache Angel Borja said the grant comes at a time the Philippines is trying to sustain economic gains in 2014 and gearing up to meet new challenges in 2015.

“As a way forward, the role of a robust and institutionalized labor inspection regime that guarantees employers compliance to internationally-accepted labor standards on a sustainable basis cannot simply be over-emphasized,” Borja said.

Labor inspections

The embassy quoted Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs Carol Pier as saying labor inspections "as a means of enforcing existing labor laws are essential to raising standards for workers around the world.”

“These projects will build on existing efforts within Peru and the Philippines to help those countries better enforce their labor laws and protect workers’ rights,” Pier added. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News