Duterte Ends ‘Endo’

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Labor Day announced that he has signed the executive order (EO) banning illegal contracting or subcontracting which strengthens employees’ security of tenure.

Duterte made this announcement in a speech delivered in Cebu City noting that he wanted to stick to his campaign promise to end contractualization and give Filipinos a “decent and comfortable life.”

“I hope that with all that I can do legally, there could be an impact on your complaint that is non-security of tenure,” Duterte said in his speech in Cebu City on May 1.

“More than a century has passed since the very first Labor Day was celebrated and yet the struggle for a better life for our beloved worker continues. I assure you that this government will never cease in its effort to provide every Filipino worker with full, dignified, and meaningful employment,” he added.

Duterte, however, pointed out that Congress also needs to do its part to amend the existing Labor Code which he described as “outdated.”

“I remain firm in my commitment to put an end to “ENDO” and illegal contractualization. However, I believe that in order to implement an effective and lasting solution to the problems brought about by contractualization, Congress needs to enact a law amending the Labor Code,” Duterte said.

The president said although an executive order could help “alleviate” the problems, it is still the Congress that needs to do the work.

“A mere executive order can only do so much because you have to change or modify or entirely aggregate some of the provisions,” he said.

“I have certified as urgent [the passage] of the bill on security of tenure to once and for all address the issue and provide long-term solutions that would further strengthen the workers’ right to security of tenure,” the President added.

Duterte, meanwhile, said that his administration will continue to push for better protection of migrant workers especially those in vulnerable group such as domestic helpers in the Middle East.

“All avenues to boost the level of protection for our kababayans abroad will be pursued particularly those who are in Kuwait,” Duterte said.

He said that necessary protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) leaving for Kuwait are in place before they are allowed to be deployed.

He earlier declared a total deployment ban to Kuwait until a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kuwait for the protection of OFWs is signed.

The President, meanwhile, assured to bring job seekers and entrepreneurs closer together with better business opportunities.

At present, he said that more than 140,000 job vacancies from private employees, 8,000 vacancies in government agencies are also open to qualified applicants.

The Department of Labor and Employment will award livelihood projects worth PHP93 million to more than 10,000 informal sector workers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry will give training and other assistance through Negosyo (business) centers. (PNA)