President Marcos has issued an executive order that aims to ensure that workers can freely form unions, join associations, and exercise their rights without fear.


Marcos signed EO No. 97 which adopted the Omnibus Guidelines on the Exercise of Freedom of Association and Civil Liberties, laying down clear rules for government agencies to protect these rights and ensure that rallies and union activities remain peaceful and lawful.


Under the EO, government agencies were directed to safeguard workers’ rights to unionize, organize, and engage in peaceful concerted activities in line with the Constitution and international labor standards.


The measure reinforces constitutional guarantees protecting workers’ right to self-organization, collective bargaining, and peaceful assembly, addressing concerns raised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) which had called on the Philippine government to act on reported laborers' concerns.

 

EO 97 noted that at the 108th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 2019, the ILO established a High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) to assist the Philippine Government in addressing reported incidents of violence, red-tagging, and suppression of trade union rights.

 

The HLTM also recommended immediate and effective actions, including prevention of violence related to legitimate union activities; investigation and accountability for acts of violence against union members; operationalization of monitoring bodies; and assurance that all workers, without distinction, can freely form and join organizations of their choosing.

 

In 2023, to implement the HLTM's recommendations, the President through EO No. 23 created the Inter-Agency Committee for the Protection of the Freedom of Association and Right to Organize of Workers, or the Inter-Agency Committee, to take all necessary measures to address the four identified areas of concern.

 

The order would also promote and safeguard workers' rights to freedom of association, self-organization, and collective bargaining, with full regard for human, civil, political, economic, and social rights and liberties.

 

Under the order, agencies—including the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the National Security Council (NSC)—are tasked to align their policies and operations with the guidelines.

 

The DOLE, through the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, will monitor implementation and compliance, while the Inter-Agency Committee created in 2023 will provide periodic reports to the Office of the President.


Government agencies were also required to incorporate the guidelines into their training, operations, and informational materials to ensure uniform application.


Local government units and the private sector were encouraged to extend full cooperation.


Marcos signed the EO on Sept. 19.