Acting on the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to generate decent and remunerative employment, safeguard workers’ welfare, and promote industrial peace, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) intensified nationwide initiatives on job generation, skills development, workplace safety, social protection, and labor justice in 2025.
In its yearend report, DOLE said it sustained efforts to bring government services closer to workers, particularly those in need, while upholding freedom of association and ensuring just and humane working conditions across industries.
To make employment opportunities more accessible, DOLE conducted 2,176 job fairs nationwide, which drew more than 529,000 job applicants. At least 74,000 applicants were hired on the spot. Through strengthened Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs), over 2.1 million job seekers were successfully placed in employment, posting a 93.45 percent placement rate. The agency also partnered with the private sector and national stakeholders for large-scale job and career fairs, including the DOLE-JobStreet Career Conference attended by President Marcos in January and job fairs organized with the Private Sector Advisory Council.
Human resource development remained a priority as DOLE pushed for upgraded technical and vocational education and training programs. Through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), skills training reached millions of Filipinos, producing more than 1.09 million certified workers with a 92 percent certification rate, ensuring workforce readiness aligned with industry needs.
Youth employment programs were also expanded, benefiting more than 232,000 students, out-of-school youth, and fresh graduates. Under the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), over 151,000 students gained temporary employment, while more than 76,000 interns joined the Government Internship Program. The JobStart Program helped over 4,900 young Filipinos transition into the labor market. To further expand opportunities for marginalized youth, DOLE entered into a memorandum of agreement with the National Book Store Group to support SPES implementation.
As the Philippines prepares for its ASEAN 2026 chairship, DOLE said it is set to further drive workforce development initiatives and help shape regional labor and employment frameworks focused on people empowerment.
Ensuring safe and fair workplaces remained a central focus of the Department. In 2025, DOLE inspected 33,007 establishments covering 3.7 million workers and conducted 168,100 technical and advisory visits to promote voluntary compliance. These resulted in compliance rates of 94.53 percent for general labor standards and 90.06 percent for occupational safety and health (OSH) standards.
To address the country’s vulnerability to calamities and disruptive events, DOLE issued Labor Advisory No. 15, series of 2025, reinforcing labor standards compliance and workers’ protection even during emergencies. The agency also conducted 541 OSH trainings nationwide, covering nearly 22,000 workers.
On wages, the National Wages and Productivity Commission, through the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards, issued 14 wage orders for private sector workers and 11 wage orders for domestic workers under the 2025–2026 wage cycle. More than 4.5 million minimum wage earners directly benefited, while over 8 million workers indirectly benefited from enterprise-level wage adjustments. A total of 755,279 domestic workers also benefited. A new wage order for Region X is scheduled to be issued on December 31, while several wage orders are set to reach their anniversary dates in January 2026.
Throughout the year, DOLE issued 18 labor advisories and 10 department orders covering various concerns, including wages reporting, holiday pay, occupational safety, women’s rights, seafarers’ claims, employment of foreign nationals, and assistance to distressed workers.
The Department also extended substantial assistance to displaced and vulnerable workers. Through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) and the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), a combined ₱14.3 billion in aid was provided. From January to November 2025, TUPAD supported more than 2.2 million Filipinos, including over 381,000 calamity-affected workers who received ₱2.045 billion in assistance. Meanwhile, DILP assisted 73,097 individuals, exceeding its annual target by nearly 50 percent.
President Marcos personally led key assistance initiatives during the year, including the distribution of ₱2.65 billion in aid to more than 417,000 disadvantaged workers on Labor Day. He also spearheaded relief and livelihood efforts in areas affected by typhoons and earthquakes through the Handog ng Pangulo initiative.
In the area of labor justice, DOLE reported a 98.07 percent disposition rate in labor cases, benefiting over 109,000 workers and resulting in ₱8.34 billion in monetary awards. Through conciliation and mediation under the Single Entry Approach, 82.55 percent of cases were settled amicably, helping prevent work disruptions and labor unrest.
Industrial peace was further strengthened through tripartite consultations under the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, which processed key labor policy issuances, including new rules prohibiting discrimination against women and updated regulations on occupational safety and health and construction workers’ welfare.
DOLE also strengthened partnerships with various government agencies in 2025. These included programs with the Department of Agriculture for affordable rice for minimum wage earners, with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for expanded health services for workers, and with the Department of Education to integrate employment and internship programs into education recovery initiatives.
At the international level, the International Labour Organization Convention No. 81 on labor inspection officially entered into force in the Philippines on November 5, 2025. The country also gained recognition during the 113th International Labour Conference, where new global labor standards were adopted and the Philippines was elected to chair the Committee on Decent Work in the Platform Economy. The ILO also decided not to subject the Philippines to examination under the Committee on the Application of Standards, citing progress in upholding freedom of association.
DOLE said its 2025 accomplishments reflect a whole-of-government commitment to protecting workers’ safety, dignity, and economic security, aligned with the President’s vision of inclusive growth. The Department also vowed to continue improving its digital systems to make labor and employment services faster, simpler, and more accessible for Filipino workers nationwide.
