Joint Press Release | 29 April 2024

The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE), with support from the Civil Service Commission
(CSC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), launched the
Healthy Workplace Toolkits to celebrate the World Day for Safety and
Health on April 29, 2024, in Quezon City.

Under the theme “Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing
Climate,” this year’s celebration underscores the escalating risks
posed by climate change on workplace safety, including exposure to
excessive heat, extreme weather events, pollution, vector-borne
diseases, and agrochemicals.

The event marked the soft launch of four (4) Healthy Workplace
Initiative Toolkits, developed with support from the ILO’s “Bringing
Back Jobs Safely” Project and United States Agency for International
Development’s (USAID) “Renew Health” Project. The toolkits cover
environmental health, mental health and substance use, and violence
and injury prevention in the workplace.

CSC Assistant Commissioner Nerissa Balisi-Caguilan reaffirmed the
Commission’s commitment to nurturing a public sector workplace that
prioritizes the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of all
civil servants. She emphasized that collective action is essential to
address the nation’s shared concerns relative to safety, especially in
light of the continuing threat of COVID-19 and other communicable
diseases.

DOLE Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) Executive Director
Jose Maria S. Batino highlighted the importance of the DOH, DOLE, and
CSC Joint Administrative Order No. 2023-0001, which established the
National Policy Framework on the Promotion of Healthy Workplace. He
recalled that the three agencies envisioned the creation of workplaces
in which workers and managers collaborate to protect and promote
workers’ health, safety, and well-being.

Several officials from the different sectors — Vice President of the
Federation of Free Workers, Mr. Julius H. Cainglet, Director General
of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Mr. Jose Roland A.
Moya, and Director of the ILO Country Office in the Philippines, Mr.
Khalid Hassan — also graced the event to show their support for the
said annual celebration.

“We must prioritize the health and safety of Filipino workers in the
country. They are the engine of our economic growth, making our nation
resilient and productive. I am optimistic that this joint initiative
for healthy workplaces will help establishments build a future where
Filipino workers can thrive in a changing climate towards a Bagong
Pilipinas, kung saan Bawat Buhay Mahalaga,” said Health Secretary
Teodoro J. Herbosa in a separate statement of support.