Free the Slaves (FTS) participated in the official launch of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) new Freedom of Association (FOA) Training Programme on September 22, 2025, at Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City, Philippines. Organized in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the event convened more than 100 representatives from government agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, security forces, academia, civil society, and development partners.
The launch marked an important step in strengthening national efforts to uphold freedom of association and labor rights in the Philippines. In recent years, progress toward compliance with ILO Convention No. 87 has been guided by the FOA Roadmap adopted by the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, following recommendations from the 2023 ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission.
To support implementation of the Roadmap, the ILO, through the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) funded “Strengthening Freedom of Association and Action Against Child Labour in the Philippines (FOA-CL)” project and the European Union funded “Trade for Decent Work (Trade4DW)” project. This facilitated the development of a consolidated national FOA training module. The training modules were jointly developed through a tripartite process and are designed to build shared understanding and practical capacity across sectors.
The FOA Training Programme aims to strengthen the ability of government institutions, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and other stakeholders to protect freedom of association and promote labor rights in practice. The launch introduced and rolled out the new FOA modules, reaffirmed national commitments under the FOA Roadmap, and created space for dialogue and collaboration toward democratic, safe, and inclusive workplaces.
The event was attended by key national leaders, including Retired Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, Executive Secretary of the Philippines; DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma; and ILO Country Director Khalid Hassan, underscoring high-level commitment to advancing rights at work.
As a partner invited to the launch, Free the Slaves reaffirmed its commitment to supporting and sustaining the FOA Training Programme across sectors. FTS recognizes this initiative as a vital mechanism for strengthening labor rights protections and contributing to a safer and more enabling environment for workers, particularly those most vulnerable to exploitation and forced labor.
Participation in the launch also strengthened FTS’s engagement with government, labor, and development partners working to advance freedom of association in the Philippines. Through continued collaboration, FTS remains committed to supporting systems that protect workers’ rights, uphold dignity at work, and reduce the conditions that allow exploitation to persist.
