Labor ministers and delegations from the 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed support for the Philippines' proposed initiatives on workers' welfare during the first day of the 27th ASEAN Labor Ministers Meeting on Friday.

Presiding over the meeting was Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, who assumed chairmanship of the ALMM from the outgoing chairperson and Secretary-General of Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower Ida Fauziyah.

The Philippine delegation vowed to push for agricultural modernization to provide more jobs amid food security issues, and enhancement of technical-vocational education and training with an emphasis on digitalization and skills enhancement for micro and small businesses.

Laguesma said that modernizing the agricultural sector helps in aiding impoverished sectors and bringing more job opportunities:

"Focusing on agriculture will not only help us address hunger, but also expand employment and lift many out of poverty," he said.

The Labor Secretary also highlighted the need to enhance and "re-orient" technical-vocational training and opportunities to meet the shift in skill requirements in certain industries.

"ASEAN Labor Ministers agreed that strengthening these priorities would facilitate the movement and employability of workers in the ASEAN region across sectors and borders," DoLE said in a press release.