Newly appointed Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino has unveiled a proactive agenda to overhaul the labor sector, anchored on providing free legal representation for marginalized workers and preparing the Filipino labor force for the challenges of artificial intelligence.
In an interview with DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 on Monday, Tolentino proposed the creation of a specialized office dedicated to providing free legal assistance to workers who are unable to afford private counsel during labor disputes.
”Para ‘yong ating mga mahihirap na manggagawa na walang kapasidad na kumuha ng mamahaling abogado, pag may kaso sa labor arbiter o NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission), maaayudahan nang libre. Isa po ‘yon sa mga binabalangkas natin (So that our poor workers who do not have the capacity to hire expensive lawyers, when they have a case at the labor arbiter or NLRC, they can be helped for free. That is one of the things we are drafting),” Tolentino said.
The initiative aims to level the playing field in disputes involving contractualization, wage issues, and workplace rights. Beyond legal aid, the Secretary emphasized the necessity of enhancing the competence of labor officials through rigorous training to ensure more efficient arbitration and decision-making processes.
”Kailangan nating magkaroon ng malawakang pagsasanay din ‘yan. Alam naman nila ‘yong ginagawa nila pero i-refresher lang natin sa mga tamang [mode of decision making], how to do proper arbitration, etcetera (We need to have extensive training for that. They know what they are doing, but we will just give them a refresher on the correct mode of decision-making, how to do proper arbitration, etcetera),” he added.
Addressing the evolving landscape of the modern workplace, Tolentino underscored the urgency of creating a “future-ready” workforce.
He expressed concerns regarding the rise of “algorithmic management”—the use of AI to monitor and evaluate employee performance—and vowed to implement safeguards to prevent these technologies from undermining labor rights.
”Ang nakikita ko rito ay magkaroon tayo ng isang future-ready workforce na ang ating sinasanay na kabataan ay para sa gawaing kinabukasan, at hindi para sa trabaho ng nakaraan (What I see here is for us to have a future-ready workforce where the youth we are training are for the jobs of the future, and not for the jobs of the past),” Tolentino remarked.
Tolentino, a former lawmaker, assumes the position as acting Labor Secretary following the resignation of Bienvenido Laguesma, who stepped down to prioritize his health.