Policy Issue
The Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 emphasizes the promotion of investments as one key driver for sustainable economic growth and to create a conducive business environment that encourages investments, the country must continuously strengthen its labor rights protection and enforce national labor laws that promote compliance and harmonious labor-management relations.
As the lead agency mandated to formulate policies and implement programs and services relating to labor and employment, Department of Labor and Employment plays a vital role in fostering such an environment that strikes a balance between upholding workers’ rights and improving business viability by ensuring labor standards compliance and promoting industrial peace through positive labor-management relations.
Through benchmarking, the study examined and assessed the policies and practices of companies located inside Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and those with foreign equity which are said to be more open to adopt more progressive practices on human resource management and industrial relations (Audea, Teo, & Crawford, 2005). Good company practices enshrined in policies and programs identified, coupled with the strategic framework developed by the researchers, are aimed to guide local companies in the implementation and improvement of labor laws.