QUEZON CITY – The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) successfully conducted a series of internal peer review sessions for the 2025 ILS Issue Papers from 05 to 08 January 2026 at the ILS Conference Room in Quezon City.

The activity aimed to strengthen the analytical rigor, policy relevance, and overall quality of the Institute’s research outputs, ensuring alignment with ILS’ guiding principles and the 2025 Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Research Agenda.

Seven (7) issue papers from the research and technical divisions were reviewed, covering key labor and employment concerns, namely:

(1) Assessing DOLE DO-156-16: Policy Gaps and the Call for Integrated Enforcement in the Philippine Commercial Fishing
(2) Between Ownership and Employment: Examining the Gray Zone in Labor Structure in Electric Cooperatives
(3) Revisiting the Minimum Wage Provision of the BMBE Law: Addressing Exemption Limits and Protecting BMBE Workers
(4) Operationalizing the Social Protection Floor in DOLE Programs: The Case of TUPAD, DILP, and AMP
(5) Youth NEET in the Philippine Labor Landscape: Mapping Demographics and Reviewing Selected Government Employment Initiatives
(6) Exploring Legal Measures on Gig Economy in the Philippines vis-à-vis Singapore
(7) Role of Labor Dispute Resolution Agencies in Request for Assistance where the Employer-Employee (ER-EE) Relationship is Not Clear 

In addition, a primer on the National Green Jobs Human Resource Development Plan and the Philippine Labor Market Updates FY 2022–2024 were presented ahead of their public release. 

The approved issue papers and reports are expected to be available on the ILS website in February 2026. Visit https://ils.dole.gov.ph/ to access ILS knowledge products.  

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