The Philippines has filed its ratification documents for the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Convention No. 190 that aims to curb violence and harassment in workplaces.

This makes the Philippines the first Asian country to ratify the convention and the 38th worldwide.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), this convention is “remarkable in its scope and ambition, spanning boundaries and embracing a world where work, family, and social life become more connected.”

“The convention ultimately calls upon us to agree on a baseline of acceptable behavior that respects every worker equally as a human being, who has full freedom to choose and pursue the things that society values, whatever their status, capabilities, and sector are,” the DOLE said during a ceremony at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Adopted in 2019, Convention No. 190 establishes the first comprehensive worldwide framework for addressing workplace violence and harassment. It defines these challenges clearly and gives a framework for action that covers incident prevention, protection, and response, as well as remedies, guidance, training, and outreach efforts.

It protects individuals in the workplace, including interns, apprentices, and those with employer duties or authority.

This also applies to many sectors, like public and private, formal and informal economies, and urban and rural locations, ensuring that everyone in the workplace has the right to a safe and respectful environment.

“This ratification marks an important step toward preventing and eliminating violence and harassment in the workplace. It is time to make workplaces free from violence and harassment a reality everywhere, promoting and realizing social justice for all,” the ILO said.