CALAMBA CITY: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 4-A (Calabarzon) has highlighted the fundamental principle of freedom of association (FOA) as recognized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) during the inaugural Regional Tripartite Conference (RTC). In a phone interview on Friday, DOLE 4-A Technical Support and Services Division officer in charge Engr. Joseph Gacosta said the conference convened 150 participants from the labor, management, and government sectors at Hotel Marciano here on July 5. Gacosta said the conference aimed to foster genuine tripartite consultation and social dialogue, especially on FOA rights as enshrined in ILO Convention 87. Ratified by the Philippines in 1953, Convention 87 guarantees workers and employers the right to establish and join organizations of their own choosing without previous authorization from any government authority. The guarantee is reiterated in the Philippine Constitution and implemented through the Labor Code. He said key discussions on hu man rights; labor provisions on FOA; and the omnibus guidelines on the exercise of FOA and civil liberties, were led by Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma and DOLE 4-A Director Roy L. Buenafe. "This is just the beginning,' Gacosta said. "We are planning further break-away dialogues to address sector-specific issues and concerns." 'The conference underscores DOLE Calabarzon's commitment to enhancing labor conditions through robust tripartite collaboration, reflecting ILO's mandate for peace and improved labor standards,' he said. Source: Philippines News Agency