By Brian Campued
“Hangad namin: Disenteng trabaho para sa bawat Pilipino.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday led the nationwide celebration of the 124th Labor Day, highlighting the administration’s commitment to generating better employment opportunities for Filipinos and strengthening worker protection.
During a government-led event in General Santos City, the President recognized the challenges being experienced by Filipino workers, as they continue to reel from the economic impact of Middle East tensions, particularly on the costs of fuel, electricity, and food.
“Hindi po kami tumitigil sa paghahanap ng mga paraan upang dumami pa ang trabaho, ang kabuhayan, at ang mga oportunidad para sa ating lahat,” he said.
Echoing his Labor Day message of placing the Filipino workforce “at the ‘heart’” of the administration’s agenda in building a “stronger, more equitable, and more hopeful Bagong Pilipinas,” Marcos Jr. noted various government interventions aimed at addressing employment gaps.
These include the nearly P2-trillion worth of investments approved last year that are expected to generate around 150,000 jobs, as well as the 6,600 job fairs conducted from June 2022 to February 2026, covering over 1.5 million job seekers, of which 250,000 were hired on the spot.
The government is also enhancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs to ensure that the workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in the changing labor market.
These efforts resulted in the improvement of the country’s labor market in February, he said.
Notably, the number of Filipinos who had work during the month reached 49.43 million from 47.94 million in January 2026, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), with the number of wage and salary workers recorded at over 30 million.
The President also assured that minimum wages across the country were under continuous review to ensure that Filipino workers receive higher pay to keep up with the evolving economic challenges.
Marcos Jr. said 89 wage orders nationwide have been approved by Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards from June 2023 to April 2026, including wage hikes in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions, effective May 1.
According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the new daily minimum wage in Northern Mindanao now ranges from P485 to P500 for both the non-agriculture and agriculture sectors.
In Caraga, the daily minimum wage increased to P475.
The Chief Executive likewise reiterated the government’s efforts to address the effects of the Middle East crisis, including the repatriation and reintegration programs for overseas Filipino workers, procurement of additional fuel supply, suspension of excise taxes on kerosene and LPG, and toll waiver for freight food transport services.
He also mentioned the distribution of fuel subsidy for the transport sector, the net service contracting program, and loan programs, among other government interventions under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT).
As part of the Labor Day celebration, Marcos Jr. said some 94 job fair sites are also offering 150,000 job vacancies across the country until the end of May.
“Sa pamamagitan ng job fair na ito, nais naming patuloy na bumuti ang bilang at kalidad ng mga trabahong available sa ating mga kababayan,” he stressed.
The President ended his speech by using the Bisaya word “padáyon”, which means to carry on.
“Patuloy lang. Tuloy-tuloy ang hanapbuhay ng manggagawang Pilipino. Tuloy-tuloy ang suporta ng pamahalaan… Hangad natin ay disenteng trabaho para sa ating mga manggagawa tungo sa isang Bagong Pilipinas,” he said.
The event in General Santos City brought together various government agencies to provide job offerings through DOLE, skills demonstrations by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); services from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program para Malayo sa Sakit), and a one-stop shop featuring several government programs and assistance.
-jpv
