ECOP held its 2nd Forum for this year on October 28, which tackled President Aquino’s 22-Point Labor and Employment Agenda.

Labor Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac dwelled on the details of the 22-Point Labor and Employment Agenda vis-à-vis DOLE’s policy thrusts and strategies.

Cacdac noted that the overarching goal is to create an environment that would enable investments to thrive and pave the way for businesses to pour in investments in human resource to make the country more competitive and employable while promoting industrial peace anchored on social justice.

Cacdac said the package of reforms prepared by DOLE employment facilitation, labor relations,workers’ welfare and protection, and governance.

ECOP President Edgardo Lacson said employers are fully supportive of government’s labor and employment agenda, the principles embodying the Decent Work Agenda, the commitment of stakeholders in continuously pursuing industrial harmony and representation of labor and management in tripartite bodies through initiatives in the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC).

Lacson also mentioned the urgent need to amend the Labor Code and attune it to the times and exigencies of business. In response, Cacdac said the prudent move is to tackle amendments on a “piecemeal basis.”

The Forum was also an occasion to apprise ECOP members on activities of ECOP such as the recent meeting with foreign chambers and other business organizations, ECOP Policy Advocacy Forum, in partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), which is a prelude to the 36th Philippine Business Conference and Exposition that brought together the country’s business leaders as well as heads of regional and local chambers, training activities, and ECOP publications..

In addition, ECOP members were also informed about ECOP-ILO projects such as the redevelopment of the ECOP website, revison of Employers’ Guidebook, formulations of ECOP Legislative and Policy Agenda, establishment of ECOP IR committees in the regions, Succeeding in Business, Gender Mainstreaming in the Workplace, Greener Business Asia (GBA), MDG-F Project (Infant Nutrition), and elimination of child labor.