DOLE chief urges ASEAN inspectors to promote labor compliance

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on Tuesday, Nov. 10, urged labor inspectors across Southeast Asia to work with employers and workers in building a culture of compliance with labor standards.

Speaking at the 15th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Labour Inspection Conference in Clark, Pampanga, Tolentino emphasized that labor inspections should go beyond identifying violations.

“A good inspector does not only find violations,” Tolentino said.

“He or she helps employers understand their duties, help workers know their rights, and helps build a culture in which compliance is shared value and not a burden,” said the labor secretary.

“Compliance is what we should all aspire,” he added.

Tolentino acknowledged that labor inspectors often perform difficult and unrecognized work but stressed their importance in protecting workers' rights and ensuring safe workplaces.

“Labor inspection is not merely enforcement. It is prevention. It is education. And it is partnership,” he stated.

The labor chief also highlighted the challenges brought by globalization, noting that economic integration has created jobs, increased incomes and expanded opportunities for millions of workers.

However, he warned that increasingly complex supply chains have made labor violations harder to detect.

“It also made the world more complex and, in some respects, more hidden,” Tolentino said.

“When work is spread among many tiers of contractors and subcontractors, it becomes harder to see who is working, under what conditions, and who is responsible when something goes wrong,” he said.

“It is in these hidden spaces that unsafe workplaces, unpaid wages, excessive hours, child labor, and forced labor can persist,” he added.

Tolentino urged labor inspectors to address these challenges by strengthening enforcement, promoting awareness of labor rights and encouraging cooperation between employers and workers.