70,000 workers ‘regularized’ in past year – DOLE

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday reported that close to 70,000 workers employed under so-called “end of contract” (endo) scheme have been regularized almost a year under the Duterte presidency.

Labor Undersecretary Dominador Say, however, said his office noted that the process has slowed down and that it is still looking at the factors affecting this.

A DOLE meeting was set this week to identify the possible causes.

Say said that many employers were called last year for a mandatory conference during which the DOLE requested for the immediate regularization of contractual workers.

“I want to see what are the factors because the status of workers will be in limbo, if the cases will not be addressed immediately,” he explained.

He stressed that DOLE expects the regularization of endo workers after the issuance of Department Order 174, which regulated contracting and sub-contracting employment schemes.

Say revealed that DOLE would soon be deploying labor union members to assist inspectors in checking over 900,000 commercial establishments nationwide.

“They are now undergoing training and as soon as they are deployed, more firms will be inspected for compliance with labor regulations, including compliance with DO 174,” Say said.

He is confident that the country will no longer have any endo workers at the end of the year as DOLE continuously exerts efforts to end the scheme by December.