8 December 2003 – In congratulating the officers and staff of the Department of Labor and Employment on its 50th anniversary, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said that the DoLE has not only been the vanguard of workers in the Philippines but also a steadfast partner of the Department of Foreign Affairs in ensuring the rights, safety, and welfare of overseas Filipinos workers.   The Secretary also said that as the DoLE celebrates it 50 years of existence, it is time for the Philippines to apply the international standard and definition of
unemployment.

“The DoLE is an important player in our economic growth and development.  It promotes peace and harmony between labor and capital.  On top of that, the DoLE has been a steadfast and dedicated partner of the DFA in pursuing the interests of our overseas Filipino workers. I congratulate the Department of Labor and mployment, headed by Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas, and her officials and personnel, both here and overseas, on the occasion of their 50th Anniversary.  I have a close and intimate knowledge of their dedication to duty and professionalism and I share with their continuing commitment to work for the betterment of our nation,” Secretary Ople said.  Secretary Ople was Secretary of Dole from 1967 to 1986.

First  established on June 18, 1908, as the Bureau of Labor under the Department of Commerce, this government agency became a full-fledged department  on December 8, 1933, when the National Assembly enacted Act No. 4121 creating the Department of Labor. Today, this agency is called the Department of Labor and Employment.

The Secretary also said that after 50 years of using the same definition of unemployment, it is high time for the Philippines to adhere to the international definition of unemployment.

“We have to give as truer picture of our employment situation by using the definition used by the International labor Organization and the United Nations Statistics Office,” the Secretary said.

The Secretary explained that the International Conference of Labour Statisticians adopted the following definition of the unemployed in 1982:

All persons who during the reference period were: (1) "without work", that is, were not in paid employment or self-employment as specified by the international definition of employment; (2) "currently available for work", that is, were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; or (3) "seeking work", that is, had taken specific steps in a specified recent  period to seek paid employment or self-employment.

 “This definition would not include those able to work but who choose not to. Many are part of the workforce but choose to make important contributions to society outside of work, particularly those who choose to care for their families,” Secretary Ople said.

Secretary Ople supported what President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said in a radio interview on 19 November 2003, where the President said the latest unemployment statistics were wrong and should be corrected.  The President said that the international definition of unemployment rate is “those who have no work and are looking for work. Not those who are unemployed who do not wish to seek work."

Secretary Ople joined the President in congratulating Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas for noticing this discrepancy.

The Secretary also said that the Department of Foreign Affairs will continue to intensify its economic diplomacy to help create more jobs in the Philippines. END.