THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) was reminded by lawmakers about their own problem with regard to contractualization.
During the House appropriation panel’s hearing to discuss Dole's proposed budget in 2018, ACT Teachers Partylist Representative Antonio Tinio confronted Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III about the state of workers in his department.
Out of Dole’s 6,300 employees nationwide, Bello told Tinio that 686 of them are in a contractual or job order basis.
"Yun ang problema, kayo ang pangunahing ahensiya na mag-implement ng pribadong sektor tungkol sa contractualization, pero kayo mismo ay may mga job order," Tinio told Bello.
To his defense, Bello said creating plantilla positions for the contractual workers is not in the pipeline due to the agency’s “budgetary constraints.”
"Kung pwede lang sana. But we are aware of the budgetary constraints. It's not easy to create plantilla positions," Bello said.
Bello was also reminded by Anakpawis Partylist Representative Ariel Casilao of Dole’s failure to put a stop on all forms of contractualization, as promised by President Rodrigo Duterte during his 2016 campaign.
But for Bello, Dole already improved the current “endo” situation when it implemented Department Order 174.
"This may not be a perfect department order, but it is an order that prohibits illegal or illegitimate contractual relations," Bello said.
"Logic will dictate that you have to outsource it if you can't have regular employees...Talagang mahirap yung absolute, mahirap po 'yan," he added.
Dole is currently proposing P10.816 billion for its 2018. (SunStar Philippines)