Labor Day Message of Dr. Alberto G. Romulo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

The Filipino nation is built on the hard work and ingenuity of our greatest strength – our people.

There is no limit to what our citizens can accomplish when they have the skills to compete and the freedom and drive to achieve their dreams. Through vision and determination, Filipino workers are transforming their communities, strengthening our economy, and realizing the great promise of our country.

The soul and sinew of Philippine labor must continue to be a driving force for national progress and productivity. The continuing vitality of our economy and, through it, of our entire way of life, rests in large measure on education and training, partnership between labor and management, and responsibility by all for improving the quality of the goods and services we produce.

As we celebrate Labor Day, we pay tribute to the generations of men and women who through their untiring energy, excellent work ethics, and steadfast commitment, significantly contribute to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our nation.

Today, we likewise give thanks to those who continually strive to improve working conditions and create fair labor laws.

We recognize the role of organized labor unions in achieving gains for our workers in the past years. Whatever benefits our workers enjoy today are due, to a large extent, to these unions who keep watch over workers’ basic rights and therefore bring dignity to the workplace and integrity to society.

As we express our deep appreciation for the many contributions of the Filipino worker, we, the men and women of the Department of Foreign Affairs renew and reaffirm our firm resolve to promote the interests and safety, and protect the rights of Filipinos overseas.

We rededicate ourselves to the global effort to uphold worker’s rights and welfare – in the ratification of international conventions; a proactive approach to addressing migrant labor concerns; constant monitoring of possible crisis situations, the continuous improvement of our consular services, and the vigorous pursuit of bilateral, regional, and multilateral initiatives on labor and migration.

In partnership with concerned stakeholders, we will continue to face and address current challenges with the aim of improving the lives of Filipino workers who are, without a doubt, our country’s greatest resource.

Mabuhay ang manggagawang Pilipino!