By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Consistent with the government’s objective of promoting adequate protection for workers’ welfare, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 97 into law on Tuesday, which ensures workers can freely form unions, join associations, and exercise their rights without fear.
EO No. 97 adopted the Omnibus Guidelines on the Exercise of Freedom of Association and Civil Liberties, directing government agencies to safeguard workers’ rights to unionize, organize, and engage in peaceful concerted activities in line with the Constitution and international labor standards.
The President’s order was issued in response to concerns raised by the International Labor Organization (ILO), which includes suppression of labor rights, violence, and red-tagging.
This measure outlines rules for government agencies to uphold these rights, ensuring that workers are able to unite and express their sentiments collectively and within legal boundaries.
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, key 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.
EO 97 likewise calls on the participation of local government units and the private sector in raising the bar on the protection of workers’ welfare and their freedom of association.
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