KEYNOTE SPEECH OF CHAIRPERSON KARLO A. B. NOGRALES
Celebration of the Occupational Medicine Week and the Occupational Health and Safety in the Workplace
20 March 2024

Dr. Anna Sofia Victoria S. Fajardo, MD, National President of the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine, Inc. (PCOM); Dr. Roberto Arturo P. Del Prado III, MD, PCOM National Vice-President; Dr. Arnold P. Tabun Jr., MD, PCOM National Secretary; Officers and members of the PCOM; guests; ladies and gentlemen; Magandang gabi sa lahat! Maayong gabi-i sa tanan!

I am honored to be with you all to celebrate the 2nd Occupational Medicine Week declared under Proclamation No. 1316 issued in 2022. I am also grateful for the opportunity to share and discuss occupational health and safety in the government workplace and highlight its importance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes occupational health as an area of work in public health to promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well-being of workers in all occupations. Workplaces that are healthy, safe, and resilient are places where all people can perform their jobs: without getting sick or injured; and with opportunities to enhance physical and mental health and social well-being, while preserving harmony with nature and being protected in case of disaster in the community.

The WHO aptly laid out the return of investment or ROI of a well-managed health and safety program for organizations—a nurturing image, improved staff morale, reduced turnover and perennial absenteeism, and increased productivity. And of course, occupational safety and health benefits for employees in terms of enhanced self-esteem, reduced stress, improved morale, increased job satisfaction, increased confidence in the organization, improved health, and improved sense of well-being. All of these are attuned to the goals of the CSC as the central human resource institution of Philippine bureaucracy.

Section 3, Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, underscores Occupational Health and Safety as a right; hence, it is important that all sectors, both public and private, should endeavor for better working conditions in their respective workplaces.

It was in 2017 when Republic Act No. 11058 (An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof) was signed by then President Rodrigo R. Duterte. It mandates for the establishment of a safe and healthful workplace for all working people by affording them full protection against all hazards in their work environment. It ensures that all provisions of the Labor Code of the Philippines, all domestic laws, and internationally recognized standards on occupational safety and health are enforced and complied with by employers. In addition, R.A. No. 11058 deems to protect every worker against injury, sickness, or death through safe and healthy working conditions thereby assuring the conservation of valuable human capital and the prevention of loss or damage to lives.
Ten years before the passage of R.A. No.11058, the CSC institutionalized OSH in the public sector with the issuance of Memorandum Circular No. 33, series of 1997 (Policy on Working Conditions at the Workplace). It mandates the provision of a Health Program for Government Employees, Adequate Office Ventilation and Lighting, Clean and Adequate Comfort Room Facilities, Potable Drinking Water, First-Aid Kit/Facilities, and Hazard Insurance. Further, the circular required the creation of safety committees that will enforce safety programs for employees.

However, there were observed gaps between policy and implementation, thus, the need to review, add provisions, and ensure increased awareness of government workers that their safety and health at work are guaranteed, of their right to refuse work that posed an imminent danger, to report accidents, and to mandate the use of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other safety devices.

So in 2020, the CSC jointly signed with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, s. 2020 which aims to institutionalize Occupational Safety and Health Standards in government workplaces. It was issued to enhance and further improve existing working conditions in all government agencies considering the continuing influx of changes in the working environment brought about by industrialization, globalization, and technological advancement affecting health and wellness of government workers in the workplace. Similar to the previous issuance, it aims to protect government employees from the dangers of injury, sickness, or death and to prevent loss or damage of properties through the adoption of safe and healthy working conditions. It enjoins compliance with the OSH in government workplaces as well as mandating the creation of a Safety and Health Committee and/or a Special Investigation Committee, and appointing or designating a Safety Health Officer.

Having previously served as Cabinet Secretary and Co-Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), and currently holding the position of Chair of the CSC, I have come to understand firsthand the significance of OSH in workplace environments. It is evident that there is a pressing need to transition OSH from being viewed merely as a standalone policy to one that encompasses the wider environment and community-at-large.

Institutional and social responsibility efforts to build an intersectoral, whole-of-government, and whole-of-society approach in promoting healthier and safer work environments are indispensable.

I would like to emphasize the role of PCOM officers and members, being at the forefront in health systems governance of our country –you are leaders and shakers in the implementation of occupational health and safety. Your longstanding commitment spanning nearly five decades in assessing workers' health, enhancing working conditions, and managing individual cases related to productivity and well-being deserves commendation and I am confident that each and every one of you remain committed and steadfast in your efforts.

OSH is already incorporated in our government policies and initiatives developed for resilience and public service continuity. So our task at hand is to work together and ensure that OSH is not a stand-alone policy. There is much to be done and our work continues but together I am confident that we are willing and able to make our country the gold standard by which other countries may look upon as a model for occupational safety and health practices.

Congratulations to the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine, Inc. for successfully organizing the tonight’s Gala Night and in celebrating the 2nd Occupational Medicine Week with the theme “HIGALAAY: Sama-samang Paglalakbay Tungo sa Malusog at Ligtas na Manggagawang Pilipino.”

Thank you very much for giving me the privilege of joining you! Mabuhay kayo at ang serbisyo publiko!