The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the government of Canada have joined forces to strengthen freedom of association and action against child labour in the Philippines and rights at work.

The new project, ‘Strengthening freedom of association and action against child labour in the Philippines’ promotes enforcement of international labour standards. It will focus on strengthening freedom of association and the right to organise. It will also boost the country’s efforts to keep children out of child labour and in school.

The five-year project, funded by the Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) was launched on 6 August 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines.

“Canada sets the bar on workers’ rights around the world. Supporting our trading partners to strengthen workers’ rights is how we make sure those rights are upheld everywhere, so every worker has a workplace that is fair, safe, and equitable,” Minister of Labour and Seniors, Steven MacKinnon said in a press release.

The project will also look at gender-related issues or gaps in freedom of association and labour rights. It will draw on the priorities of the women workers’ agenda, as well as vulnerabilities that children in child labour face because of their gender.

Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines said, “We need a breakthrough to address child labour and rights at work. Freedom of association including the rights of workers and employers to effectively organise and bargain, as well as the effective abolition of child labour are fundamental rights. This project is crucial to improving their conditions and building a future with social justice for all.”

ILO noted that the number of working children increased significantly in the Philippines to 1.48 million in 2022. More than half at 56%, equivalent to 828,000 are in child labour (engaged in hazardous work and/or working for long hours). The project will contribute to the Philippine Program Against Child Labour (PPACL) in recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which reversed the progress in reducing child labour.

Prior to the pandemic, there was a decline in the number of working children and those considered to be in child labour. However, the trend reversed with the number of working children rising between 2020 and 2022.