Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Philippines (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

1. The Committee notes the Government's report and the information it contains in reply to its previous request. It notes the Government's analysis distinguishing between employment problems in the national capital region, which has the highest unemployment rates, and the rest of the country, where there is a high rate of underemployment amounting to over 30 per cent in many regions. The Committee notes with interest that the rapid growth in economic activity has begun to be reflected, during the period, by sustained growth of employment in the industry and services sectors and that the quality of jobs offered has improved. It notes that according to the January 1997 Labour Force Survey, the unemployment rate amounted to 7.7 per cent (as against 9.5 per cent in 1994), while the rate of underemployment remains stable at around 21 per cent. The Committee also notes that these changes in employment and unemployment have occurred in a context of significant progression in levels of activity. It requests the Government to continue to provide the fullest possible information on the level and trends in the active population, employment, underemployment and unemployment, at both global and regional levels, by sector of activity, by sex, by age and by level of skills.

2. With reference to its previous direct request concerning implementation of the action programmes adopted by the National Employment Summit held in September 1995, the Committee notes that an Inter-Agency Oversight Committee responsible for the monitoring of implementation of its core programmes was due to produce its assessment report by September 1996. It requests the Government to attach to its next report a copy of the assessment report and to indicate whether the representatives of the persons affected, within the meaning of Article 3 of the Convention, participate in assessing the employment promotion programmes. Recalling that pursuant to Article 2, the measures to be adopted for attaining the employment objectives of the Convention must be decided on and kept under review "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy", the Committee also requests the Government to supply detailed information on the noted or expected impact on employment of the Medium-term Philippine Development Plan (1993-1998) in spheres such as investment policy and infrastructure development, trade policy and regional development policy. In addition, please indicate whether difficulty has been encountered in achieving the National Employment Plan objective of creating 1.3 million jobs a year and indicate to what extent these difficulties have been surmounted.

3. The Committee notes the information relating to the occupational training programmes to be established under the Industry Capability Building Programme (ICBP). It has been informed, moreover, of the establishment of a technical education and skills development authority (TESDA) responsible for ensuring the coordination of the various occupational training activities. In this respect, the Committee draws the Government's attention to the relevant provisions of the instruments adopted in 1975 on the development of human resources, to which it might wish to refer in formulating an education and training policy, in coordination with employment prospects. It requests the Government to continue to provide detailed information on progress made in this field.

4. Finally, the Committee noted in its previous comment that the ILO was associated with the National Employment Summit and that its support was requested for the follow-up and recalls its interest in receiving any information on ILO advisory or technical cooperation activities in the field of employment. It trusts the Government will not fail to supply in its future reports the information required on this subject (Part V of the report form).