Nonoy Librado Development Foundation, Inc.

10/12/2025

📢 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓:
📅 10 December 2025 | 🌍 International Human Rights Day

𝑶𝒏 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚: 𝑨𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝑮𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝑫𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍, 𝑳𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓 𝑵𝑮𝑶 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

The Nonoy Librado Development Foundation, Inc. (NLDFI), a service institution for working people in Mindanao, joins human rights defenders, workers, and communities across the country in marking International Human Rights Day with deep concern over the alarming decline in respect for the right to freedom of association - a fundamental pillar of democracy and a vital safeguard for working people.

NLDFI Executive Director Leah Emily Miñoza emphasized that although international conventions and instruments (ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98, ICCPR – Art. 22, ICESCR – Art. 8, UDHR – Arts. 20 and 23(4) ) and the Philippine Constitution protect workers’ rights to organize, the situation on the ground reveals a mounting pattern of harassment, red-tagging, and intimidation against unions and labor advocates.

“When workers are prevented from forming collective strength, all other human rights - economic, political, and civil - become increasingly vulnerable. This is why dwindling levels of unionization and CBA coverage nationwide are alarming to workers’ human rights,” Miñoza said.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, as of August 2025, only 7.6% of employed Filipinos - 6.62 million out of 50.47 million - belong to a labor organization. Of these, just 2.39 million are union members, and only 313,553 are covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs). Union presence in Mindanao remains extremely low. In Southern Mindanao, only 5% of establishments have unions, with 4.4% covered by CBAs. Northern Mindanao records 6% union density and 5.8% CBA coverage; the Zamboanga Peninsula posts 4.1% union density and 3.1% CBA coverage; CARAGA shows 5.6% union density and 5.3% CBA coverage; while SOCCSKSARGEN has even lower figures at 3.2% union density and 2.7% CBA coverage.

These numbers highlight the persistent challenges workers face in organizing and accessing collective protections across the region.

This crisis is further aggravated by the accelerated informalization of labor, particularly within the platform economy, amidst digitalization. Food and parcel delivery riders, online freelancers, and app-based workers are typically misclassified as “independent contractors,” allowing companies to evade obligations to recognize unions, ensure living wages, and provide essential protections.

“As digitalization accelerates, platform work has become a new architecture for suppressing unions. Workers are isolated, digitally monitored, and systematically denied opportunities for collective action. Even when they form associations, misclassification as ‘independent contractors’ prevents them from bargaining for better wages or social protections. The digital economy is growing faster than our labor laws, leaving millions of workers unprotected,” Miñoza added.

NLDFI also emphasizes that digital rights are human rights, particularly as work becomes increasingly mediated by apps, algorithms, and surveillance technologies. Workers must have control over the personal data collected by platforms, employers, and government agencies, including the right to know what data is collected, how it is used, and protection against misuse, unauthorized tracking, or intrusive monitoring.

“Based on our research, digital surveillance through various performance tracker apps and other technology like CCTVs and biometrics systems plays a significant role in discouraging workers from forming unions or workers’ associations as they fear reprisal,” added Miñoza.

On this International Human Rights Day, NLDFI urges the government to safeguard freedom of association, defend digital rights, and ensure that new forms of work do not become tools for eroding long-fought labor protections.

The institution proposes the immediate passage of a National Platform Workers’ Agenda to promote standards and guarantee social protections for workers in the digital economy. # # #

01/12/2025

Look 👀

On November 10-12, the Nonoy Librado Development Foundation (NLDFI) , represented by its Program Officer- Ariana Olar participated in the 2nd Regional Convening of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law, and Development (APWLD) in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The Regional Convening aimed to consolidate APWLD’s partners and labor organizations and unions’ recommendations on the draft Convention on decent work in platform economy as the International Labor Conference will take place on June 2026.

During the convening, the NLDFI presented its research on the impacts of digital surveillance on women workers’ freedom of association.

01/11/2025

On All Saints' and All Souls' Day, we honor the lives of workers who sacrificed everything for their labor, dignity, and the rights of all. Today, we remember those who lost their lives on the job-martyrs of the labor movement, whose courage and resilience paved the way for a safer, more just world for every worker.

31/10/2025

27/10/2025

𝙉𝙇𝘿𝙁𝙄 𝙅𝙊𝙄𝙉𝙎 𝘼𝙎𝙄𝘼𝙉 𝙇𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙍 𝙉𝙂𝙊𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙄𝘾 𝙁𝙤𝘼 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙑𝙀𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂

We are among the country's representatives to the Advancing Freedom of Association in Asia Convening spearheaded by the Global Labor Justice Network held in Jakarta, Indonesia. In attendance were labor NGO reps from Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and Central Asia.

As the only labor NGO in Mindanao advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms, we shared our experiences and insights into broadening the concept of FoA and accessing the International Labor Organization (ILO) mechanisms as part of the collective national trade union movement effort that led to the holding of 2 ILO High-Level Tripartite Missions.

Freedom of association is a human right!

22/10/2025

𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗦

💬 A productive and heartfelt 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 together with 𝑯𝒐𝒏. 𝑷𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒂 “𝑷𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒈” 𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒐, Chair of the Davao City Council on Labor and Employment Opportunities.

Gathering platform workers of Shopee Xpress, J&T Express, Grab, and FoodPanda, we listened to stories, struggles, and solutions straight from the workers who keep our digital economy moving.

✊ 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. 𝙀𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨.

#𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚
#𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨

21/10/2025

𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 – 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬

Ginaimbitar nato ang tanan nga platform workers (delivery riders, drivers, freelancers, ug uban pa) nga mokuyog sa usa ka konsultasyon alang sa hustong kondisyon sa pagtrabaho.

🗓️ Date: October 22, 2025 (Wednesday)
🕓 Time: 4:00 – 7:00 PM
📍 Place: Meeting Grounds Café

Kini nga kalihokan gi-organisa sa Office of Councilor Pamela “Pameng” Librado-Morata, Nonoy Librado Development Foundation Inc. (NLDF), ug ang Obrera: Safe at Work, Safe Online, uban sa suporta sa Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law, and Development (APWLD).

Magkahiusa ta sa pagtinabangay para sa mas patas, mas luwas, ug mas makatawhan nga mga kondisyon sa trabaho.

06/10/2025

Application screentime? Information sharing? Doom scrolling?

Obrer@ went to the streets of Davao City to ask how people effectively use their social media accounts!

Stay tuned!

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03/10/2025

𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

3 October 2025

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘀: 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗚𝗢 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝘀 “𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀-𝗮𝘀-𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹” 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗣𝗢 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗲𝗯𝘂 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲

We strongly condemn the inhumane treatment of employees by certain BPO companies in Cebu during the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30.

A complaint filed by the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) Cebu alleges, among others, that companies compelled employees to continue working, not to drop calls, and return to their stations despite the severe tremor, while another reportedly blocked exits, preventing evacuation and medical attention to a pregnant worker. Some screenshots making rounds on social media indicate workers being made to submit notices to explain (NTEs) for supposedly “abandoning” work when they left work premises after the earthquake.

BPO workers are humans, not robots. They have the right to refuse work in situations where their lives are endangered. The business-as-usual practices of such BPO companies during a disaster are an affront to labor rights and human dignity, and are condemnable.

This latest disregard and neglect of worker safety echoes the 2017 Davao City tragedy of yet another BPO company, where 37 employees of a market research firm lost their lives in a fiery massacre. Ultimately, while the building was found not to meet the standards of the fire code, neither the mall nor the employer was held accountable. Such disregard for employee safety is a gross violation of the Labor Code and Republic Act No. 11058, the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law of 2018.

We urge the DOLE to investigate these violations, ensure accountability, and uphold workers’ rights. BPO companies must prioritize employee safety and dignity over profit. Compliance with OSH standards to ensure safe workplaces is not optional - it is a legal and moral obligation.

SunStar Davao Davao Today MindaNews Mindanao Times

30/09/2025

In the Philippines, 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲-- monitored for their activity, behavior, and even personal traits through advanced technologies. This growing control leaves them vulnerable, raising urgent questions about privacy, dignity, and fair treatment in the workplace.

Below is the national situation of workers in our country. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨’ 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨!

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Photos credits to NLDFI.

29/09/2025

𝗡𝗟𝗗𝗙𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽

From Barcelona to Davao, the language of human rights speaks for itself.

We were honored to welcome our friends from Associació Acció Internacional per la Pau (International Action for Peace – IAP Catalunya) to the Nonoy Librado Development Foundation for an inspiring exchange of stories, strategies, and solidarity in the pursuit of justice and peace.