The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) participated in a convergence forum titled, “Barangay Walang Iwanan 2019: Transforming Communities Towards ZERO Exclusion / Carbon / Poverty,” at the Asian Institute of Management, Makati City last January 17.

The four-day forum was organized and presented by French think-tank Convergences which partnered with Filipino non-governmental organization (NGO) Gawad Kalinga (GK) whose main objective is to engage the youth, key decision makers, and stakeholders from all sectors aimed at being the starting point of an alliance of changemakers committed to a 3-Zero Philippines: Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty.

Day one centered on the topic of “Green and Decent Jobs: Making Employment and Growth More Sustainable in the Philippines.” Mr. Bernard Paul Mangulabnan, ILS Acting Chief of the Employment Research Division presented the concept of Green Jobs, which has both the inseparable components of protecting the environment while also ensuring decent work for the labor force. He also presented the current initiatives of DOLE, specifically, the formulation of the National Green Jobs HRD Plan headed by the Department of Labor and Employment.

Also discussed were key issues such as projections for development of Green Jobs in the Philippines, skills development and inclusion of sustainable Green Jobs in the education system, opportunities presented by the creation of green jobs to further the workers and the economy, and identification of challenges and needed actions to enable a fair transition to a green economy and creation of green jobs.

Other speakers include: Mr. Jerome Ilagan, Chief, Policy Research and Development Division of the Climate Change Commission; Mr. Antonio Isidro Asper, Vice-President for Political and External Affairs of the Federation of Free Workers; Engr. Ronald “Bong” Laurel, Managing Director of Star 8 Green Technology Corporation; and Ms. Gwyneth Palmos, Consultant from the International Labor Organization. The discussion was moderated by Ms. April V. Ong-Vaño, Social Entrepreneur and former Innovation Policy Consultant from the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment. For more information on this story, please contact the Advocacy and Publications Division at 527-3590.