THE Nonoy Librado Development Foundation, Inc. (NLDFI) raised concern over the decline in respect for freedom of association, in time for the commemoration of Human Rights Day on December 10, 2025.
NLDFI Executive Director Leah Emily Miñoza said that despite international conventions, instruments, and the Philippine Constitution defending workers’ rights to organize, people on the ground continue to experience harassment, red-tagging, and intimidation for forming unions and advocating for labor rights.
Miñoza said that when workers are prevented from forming collective strength, all other human rights — economic, political, and civil — also become vulnerable. She said that the decreasing number of unionized workers and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) in the Philippines poses a significant risk to workers’ rights.
“On this International Human Rights Day, NLDFI urges the government to safeguard freedom of association, defend digital rights, and ensure that new forms of work do not become tools for eroding long-fought labor protections,” NLDF wrote in their press statement on December 10, 2025.
NLDFI cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), stating that as of August 2025, about 7.6 percent of employed Filipinos—or 6.62 million out of 50.47 million workers—belong to a labor organization. Of the 6.62 million members, only 2.39 million are union members, and just 313,553 are covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Meanwhile, in Mindanao, union presence remains extremely low, with only five percent of establishments having unions in Southern Mindanao.
In Northern Mindanao, union density is only six percent with 5.8 percent CBA coverage; Zamboanga Peninsula has 4.1 percent union density and 3.1 percent CBA coverage; CARAGA has 5.6 percent union density and 5.3 percent CBA coverage; and SOCCSKSARGEN has 3.2 percent union density and 2.7 percent CBA coverage.
NLDFI said these numbers reflect the challenges workers face in accessing collective protection across the region.
Digital rights are human rights
NLDFI stressed the importance of digital rights as human rights, especially now that work is mediated by apps, algorithms, and surveillance technologies.
They said that based on their research, digital surveillance — through performance tracker apps, CCTVs, and biometric systems — plays a significant role in discouraging workers from forming unions and workers’ associations.
The foundation emphasized that workers must have control over their personal data collected by platforms, employers, and government agencies, including the right to know what data is collected, how it is used, and what protections exist against misuse, unauthorized tracking, or intrusive monitoring.
They said that without safeguards, these practices pose serious digital risks, enabling data-driven control over workers and limiting their ability to organize and advocate for their rights.
The foundation also proposed the passage of the National Platform Workers’ Agenda to promote standards and social protection for workers in the digital economy.
Commemoration of Human Rights Day
Several progressive groups staged a protest action on December 10, 2025, at Roxas Freedom Park in commemoration of the 77th International Human Rights Day. The protest was led by Karapatan and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.
The protest action called for an end to corruption and fascism under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The groups also urged the public to hold officials accountable and to defend human rights. RGP