Over 400K workers regularized from January to December: DOLE

“I know it is still low, percentage wise, considering the number of contractual workers in the country,” Bello said in statement. (PNA file photo)

MANILA — Over 400,000 contractual workers have been given permanent employment as part of the anti-“endo” campaign of the government, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported on Wednesday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that from January to December 3, a total of 411,449 private sector employees were regularized by their employers.

“I know it is still low, percentage wise, considering the number of contractual workers in the country,” Bello said in statement.

“But that 400,000 plus figure is unprecedented in our country. Never in history has that number been achieved,” the DOLE chief added.

Bello noted 65 percent of the figure have been regularized due to the voluntary compliance of the private companies.

While the remaining 35 percent were given regular employment statuses as a result of the issuance of compliance orders.

Of the number, he said some 11,660 are workers from the SM malls chain. They have been regularized this year as of the end of the third quarter.

“It could even be higher if we include the last quarter of the year,” Bello added.

SM malls in the National Capital Region (NCR) had the most number of regularized workers with 4,800; followed by those in Calabarzon with 2,865; and those in Mimaropa with 1,476.

Meanwhile, Bello also reported that the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has promised to regularize all their workers.

“ECOP said all its members will regularize all their employees.

We are just waiting for their timeline,” he said.

In turn, the DOLE offered ECOP members to be exempted from the regular labor inspection activities.

“I offered to waive the inspection of their members unless, of course, there is a complaint filed against them,” Bello added.