The Institute for Labor Studies participated as a country representative in the Asian Pacific Economic (APEC) Workshop on Green Vocational Skills from September 19 to 20, in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China.

Bernard Paul M. Mangulabnan, Acting Chief of the ILS Employment Research Division, and Myka Rose Trono from the Department of Labor and Employment – Bureau of Local Employment, co-presented the overview of the mandate of DOLE under Republic Act No. 10771 or the Philippine Green Jobs Act, the National Green Jobs Human Resource Development Plan, and the assessment and certification system and standards for green jobs.

The two-day workshop aimed at fostering cooperation and sharing best practices and country achievements in promoting green vocational skills among APEC economies, policymakers, experts and practitioners, the academe, and relevant stakeholders. Discussions during the workshop include training, resilience building, and tangible and intangible achievements among member economies on green vocational skills. The project was built to support the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, reflecting the priorities of equity and inclusion and the 2023 work plan.

The forum was organized by APEC through the Chinese Academy of Personnel Science, Southwest Jiaotong University, with 21 APEC member economies invited to participate.

ILS prepares for UNFCCC COP 29

Meanwhile, ILS Executive Director Jeanette T. Damo attended the preparatory training and writeshop to develop country positions for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 29) from September 25 to 27, in Quezon City.

Hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the activity served as a venue to provide participants with updates, substantive knowledge, and technical skills in critical areas of negotiation at the UNFCCC COP 29. Draft initial country positions on key negotiation work streams were among the outputs of the writeshop.

In 2023, Executive Director Damo served as a member of the Philippine delegation and a co-lead negotiator representing the Department of Labor and Employment at the UNFCCC.

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