Manila – The Institute of Labor Studies co-organized with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) International Labor Affairs Bureau a policy forum titled “Think Global , Act Local: Gearing Up for the Future of Work” on July 31 at the AG New World Hotel in Manila.

The event is part of the series of ILS initiatives on the Future of Work conversations with DOLE tripartite partners and other stakeholders scheduled for this year.

Presentors were International Labour Organization Director Khalid Hassan, Mr. Tristan A. Canare, PhD. of Asian Institute of Management Policy Center, and ILS Executive Director Ahmma Lobrin-Satumba.

Director Hassan emphasized increasing investment in people's capabilities to better prepare for the Future of Work during his discussion of the ILO Report on the subject matter. Mr. Canare reported that agriculture is the sector with the largest proportion of high risk workers to be automated, and services having the smallest proportion. ILS Executive Director Lobrin-Satumba discussed the Report on the Special Session of the ASEAN Labour Ministers on the Future of Work.

The second part of the forum involved a workshop participated in by more than 70 participants that included policy researchers, program managers including DOLE Regional Directors and their technical staff, and tripartite partners. The workshop encouraged discussions on how to further localize global initiatives to the needs and concerns of the Philippines, taking into account national development plans, current labor market situation, and strategic priorities of DOLE and its tripartite partners.

Last July 30, the Institute also co-organized with the Asian Institute of Management Rizalino S. Navarro Policy Center for Competitiveness (AIM RSN PCC), and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Philippines a roundtable discussion-workshop titled “FIRe Up Agriculture: Harnessing Opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Benefit of Farmers” at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City.