Several senators on Tuesday expressed strong support for the appointment of former Senator Francis Tolentino as the new secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Tolentino officially takes the helm of the labor department this afternoon, succeeding former Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, who stepped down from his post due to health reasons.
Senator Win Gatchalian lauded the appointment, noting that Tolentino’s extensive legal background and deep understanding of labor standards will be vital in advancing workers’ rights and addressing current employment challenges.
“Kumpiyansiya tayong mapapalakas ni Secretary Tolentino nang husto ang sektor ng paggawa lalo na ngayong nahaharap ang bansa sa iba’t ibang hamon, kasama na ang pangangailangang palakasin ang ating ekonomiya para makalikha pa ng mas maraming trabaho,” Gatchalian said.
Tolentino served in the Senate from June 2019 to 2025, during which he held the position of Senate Majority Leader from May 2024 to June 2025. Throughout his legislative career, he chaired the Committees on Local Government, and Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement, while also serving as vice chairperson of the Foreign Relations panel.
Notably, Tolentino championed labor welfare in 2022 by authoring Senate Bill 2475, also known as the “Workers’ Rest Law,” which aimed to forbid employers from contacting staff for work-related matters outside of official working hours.
His transition to the executive branch comes after running for a second Senate term under President Marcos Jr.’s Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition in the 2025 midterm elections, where he placed 25th.