Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has renewed calls for labor reforms as the number of unemployed Filipinos rose to 2.26 million in December 2025 from 2.25 million in November, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Cayetano noted that unemployment remains significantly higher than the 1.63 million recorded in December 2024, highlighting persistent challenges in job security, wages, and labor protection.
He stressed the need for coordinated action among government, workers, and employers, and said this is the goal of his proposed Executive-Legislative Labor Commission (LabCom) Act, which he filed as a priority measure in the 20th Congress.
The proposed body will bring together Congress, the Executive branch, MSMEs, trade and industry groups, and labor sectors, including migrant and informal workers, to craft long-term solutions to employment issues.
Cayetano said labor problems go beyond statistics and affect Filipino families, especially those forced to seek work away from home due to low wages and weak protection.
“Kung lab (love) natin ang Pilipinas, kung lab (love) natin ang ating laborers, kung gusto natin ang mga OFWs na hindi na kailangan mag-broad, we have to have a labor commission,” the senator said playing on the word “lab” from “LabCom.IMT
