LABOR ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting in Manila this week to discuss concerns in the sector, including recovery measures from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Philippine Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma, who will chair the 27th ASEAN Labor Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings on Oct. 25 to 29, said dialogues with China, Japan, and South Korea will also be held.
The officials will focus on the labor sector’s recovery from the pandemic by proposing measures to improve workers’ skills for employment and developing vocational training programs, Mr. Laguesma said in a statement on Sunday.
He noted that agriculture and food security will be one of the top priorities of the dialogues.
“This is a good development for the Philippines as it is fully aligned with the strategic priorities of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s socio-economic agenda,” he said.
ASEAN is composed of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. — John Victor D. Ordoñez