CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of the Philippines has championed the advancement of high-standard and inclusive employment at the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES) Asia-Pacific Regional Conference 2025 held in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma has emphasized the reforming of the labor market to open opportunities for high-standard jobs and make the employment environment more inclusive.
This is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ‘s labor policies to bring the country into a middle-income country, as stated in the 2023-2028 Philippine Development Plan.
Part of the gains is the 96.20 percent employment rate posted in September 2025, per report from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
In his recorded keynote address, President Marcos has assured the international community that his administration will maintain strong investment promotion and time-bound incentives through Republic Act 12066 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Recovery (CREATE MORE), and the Expanded Investors’ Lease Act, which extends the maximum land lease period for foreign investors from 50 years to uninterrupted 99-year term.
International Labour Organization Country Director Khalid Hassan cited the high employment rate of the country and to sustain it, he urged the Philippine government to continue to strengthen the labor market, enhance employment facilitation, and make its manpower more globally competitive and productive.
WAPES Asia-Pacific Regional Conference 2025 highlighted cooperation between public employment services, the sharing of experiences, intercultural training, and the growing importance of digitalization and artificial intelligence in employment policies.
The activity carried the theme “The Future of Work: Inclusive Public Employment Services Adapting to Demographic Realities in the Asia-Pacific”. (CLJD/SFV, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
