The Department of Health (DOH), together with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Civil Service Commission (CSC), along with the World Health Organization, United States Agency for International Development, International Labour Organization, FHI 360 and other development partners, workers and employee groups, and various workplaces, gathered to celebrate the 2023 World Day for Safety and Health at Work by launching the National Policy Framework on the Promotion of Healthy Workplace.
As a health promotion implementation strategy, the Healthy Workplace entails development of policy and various technical tools to advocate for the Health Promotion Framework Strategy’s identified priority areas and its corresponding seven healthy habits.
This policy framework is in line with the Universal Health Care Act, RA 11223, aims to provide an integrated and comprehensive approach to health care for Filipinos, including promoting health literacy, healthy living conditions, and protection from health hazards.
The policy framework aims to promote a culture of health and safety in the workplace through the development of assessment tools, called FIT-ools, and interventions to improve health literacy and reduce risks of unhealthy behaviors.
“While the framework opens new grounds for collaborations between all organizations here, we are all propelled by the greater vision of a healthy and productive workforce serving the Filipino,” CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles said.
Making healthy behaviors the easier choice in workplaces will only be possible through collaboration across all sectors.
“We affirm our duty and commitment in protecting and promoting the fundamental right of all workers in the private and public sector for a safe, healthy, and happy work environment.”
“We affirm our duty and commitment in protecting and promoting the fundamental right of all workers in the private and public sector for a safe, healthy, and happy work environment,” DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma stressed.
This commitment includes the most vulnerable, as the initiative aims to involve the informal sector to truly achieve a Healthy Pilipinas.
“We take a crucial step forward in further improving the health, safety and welfare of our workers.”
“Today, we take a crucial step forward in further improving the health, safety and welfare of our workers as we sign our Joint Administrative Order on the National Policy Framework on the Promotion of Healthy Workplace, and launch the implementation of our Healthy Workplace Program,” DOH Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire explained.
“This policy and program are the collaborative work of the DOH, DOLE and CSC to promote health, safety, and well-being of all workers, both in the public and private sectors,” Vergeire concluded.
