ILO - International Labour Organization

04/29/2024 | Press release | Archived content

Message of support at the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024 in the Philippines

  • Assistant Secretary Tutay and DOLE officials;
  • Assistant Secretary Beltran and DOH officials;
  • Partners from the government, workers and employers organizations;
  • Representatives of OSH organizations including OSH networks, and safety training organizations
  • Colleagues, magandang hapon (good afternoon)!

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is grateful to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Health (DOH) for this collaboration.

Our targeted actions under the National Policy Framework on the Promotion of Healthy Workplaces help build a safety and health culture and promote decent work.

We present today the Healthy Workplace Toolkits, at the same time, raise awareness of climate change and serious health hazards.

The new ILO report shows how climate change, threatens 70 per cent of the global workforce's safety and health.

Over 2.4 billion workers are likely to be exposed to excessive heat at work. The Philippines is in South-East Asia, one of the regions with high exposure to solar radiation.

The health consequences of climate change can include cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney disfunction, respiratory illness and even mental health conditions, according to the new ILO report.

We must take these warnings seriously and integrate occupational safety and health (OSH) concerns into climate change responses.

Working in safe and healthy environments is no longer an option but one of the ILO's fundamental principles and rights at work.

It is timely that the DOH, with the ILO's Bringing Back Jobs Safely (BBJS) Project funded by the Government of Japan, have developed evidence-based healthy workplace toolkits, particularly on environment health and violence and injury prevention.

Notably, the toolkit on Ventilation helps improve air quality, regulate temperature, control odours, and prevent contamination.

The ILO believes that building a culture of prevention that support OSH practices is not solely out of compliance but to protect our most valuable resource - our workers.

We remain steadfast to support workplace health promotion initiatives. In addition to the BBJS Project, which improved OSH awareness in enterprises, we also have the USDOL-funded Rural Sectors Project to strengthen compliance to OSH in agriculture, mining and fishing. The Ship to Shore Project also developed an OSH board game and will be shared today.

We also look forward to forging broader partnerships under the Global Coalition for Social Justice and the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, with the Philippines as a pathfinder country.

This groundbreaking multilateral cooperation will promote decent work, protect communities from climate change and accelerate progress towards sustainable development based on social justice that leaves no one behind.

We rely on your support as we forge partnerships and foster a safety and health culture. It is time to act to fight the threats of climate change and create a better, safer workplace.

Thank you and mabuhay (long live)!