A push to expand the country’s labor inspection force has gained support in the House as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) moves to address a manpower gap that limits its ability to monitor workplaces nationwide.
The proposal seeks to strengthen DOLE’s inspection system by hiring more labor inspectors and working with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to train qualified personnel for deployment across the regions.
The move comes after Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino disclosed that DOLE has 1,210 labor inspectors nationwide, but only 447 are actively conducting workplace inspections across 13 regional offices.
House labor panel chair and Cavite Rep. Jolo Revilla said the number is not enough to effectively monitor thousands of establishments and ensure compliance with labor standards, occupational safety rules, and workplace regulations.
“The figure speaks for itself. While DOLE may have 1,210 labor inspectors on paper, only 447 are actively conducting inspections in workplaces across the 13 regions. That number cannot be expected to effectively monitor the thousands of establishments operating nationwide,” he said.
Labor inspectors are responsible for checking whether employers comply with laws on wages, benefits, safety, and other workplace protections. A stronger inspection force, supporters said, would help protect workers from abuse while encouraging employers to follow labor regulations.
The proposed partnership with TESDA is expected to create a steady pool of trained inspectors who can be assigned to different parts of the country.
The Cavite solon said training must be matched with adequate funding, particularly through a higher personnel services budget for DOLE, to ensure that new inspector positions can actually be created and filled.
“We can train all the inspectors we want, but without funding for actual positions, the manpower gap will remain,” he stressed.
He said stronger labor inspections would not only benefit workers, but also responsible businesses by promoting fair competition and preventing employers from cutting corners at the expense of employee welfare.
The House labor committee is expected to review DOLE’s manpower requirements during budget deliberations, with the goal of strengthening enforcement of labor laws and improving workplace safety across the country.