A confederation of labor unions and organizations lauded President Marcos for retaining Bienvenido E. Laguesma as the head of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) amid the ongoing review of the performances of Cabinet officials and other appointees.

In a statement, the Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (PTGWO-TUCP) said the decision to retain Laguesma is an affirmation of his good performance in the last three years.

“We are glad that President Marcos did not listen to the detractors of Secretary Benny. The negative aspersions cast against him are just preconceived bias, to say the least,” said PTGWO national president Arnel Dolendo.

“We observed that DOLE as an institution strived for job generation with endeavors like internship, job fairs, emergency employment and even livelihood programs. These programs aim to have low unemployment and underemployment rates,” he added.

Last month, Marcos ordered all Cabinet secretaries to submit courtesy resignations as part of the aggressive changes that will be implemented in the last three years of his term of office.

While some Cabinet officials were allowed to go, Marcos, however, did not accept the resignation of several secretaries, including Laguesma.

Dolendo said Laguesma was able to ensure that DOLE stick to its mandate of promoting gainful employment opportunities and human resource development, protecting and promoting workers' rights and welfare, and maintaining industrial peace. 

As for the promotion of workers' rights and welfare, he said DOLE led in July last year the nationwide roll out of the Omnibus Guidelines in the Exercise of Freedom of Association and Civil Liberties. 

This was to uphold the principles mandated by the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 87, on workers freedom of association and the right to organize, and ILO Convention 98 on the right to collective bargaining.

“Based on the experience of the PTGWO, DOLE has been very active in addressing various concerns, including red-tagging. It was the DOLE which informed government authorities that the goal of labor unions is to strengthen the fight for the rights of the laborers,” said Dolendo.

Through the project of the DOLE on freedom of association, Dolendo said they are confident that this may lead to the institutionalization of actions to prevent harassment of labor and union leaders. 

“We concede that there is still so much work for the DOLE, especially concerning the employee’s rights to organize, to freedom of association and collective bargaining, as well as the pursuit of industrial peace. We hope that Sec. Benny Laguesma would keep up the good work in leading the DOLE,” said Dolendo.