DOLE to issue labor advisories on workplace safety as El Niño looms

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will issue four labor advisories outlining safety measures for employers and workers amid extreme heat during the El Niño phenomenon, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said.

The guidelines will cover workplace safety and health, including measures to protect workers exposed to high temperatures, particularly those working outdoors.

READ: Drought forecast to hit more areas until March 2027 – Pagasa

Article continues after this advertisement

Tolentino said employers must implement appropriate safeguards while workers must also follow safety measures intended to protect their health.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

He stressed that workers should not suffer salary deductions for complying with the guidelines.

“Nakasulat sa labor advisory na walang bawas sa sweldo… bawat kategorya po ay may mga kaukulang gawain si employer. Ganun din si employee na dapat sundin para sa kanilang kapakanan,” Tolentino said.

(It’s written in the labor advisory that there should be no salary deductions. Each category has corresponding responsibilities for employers. The same goes for employees, who must also follow rules for their own benefit.)

READ: Makabayan solons seek financial aid for workers amid Super El Niño

Article continues after this advertisement

The advisories will also cover compensation for work-related illnesses caused by extreme heat, including heat stroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion.

Tolentino said he would issue guidance clarifying that workers who suffer from these conditions because of their work may qualify for benefits through the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), which administers the Employees’ Compensation Program for workers covered by the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Article continues after this advertisement

“Yung Employees’ Compensation Commission, hawak din naman po niya ang SSS at GSIS, maglalabas po ako ng labor advisory kung saan ‘yung heat-related injuries—heat stroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion na work-related—would be compensable,” Tolentino said.

(The Employees’ Compensation Commission also handles SSS and GSIS, I’ll be releasing a labor advisory where work-related heat-related injuries—like heat stroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion—would be compensable.)

The labor department will also issue guidelines for delivery riders, who may need to take breaks at designated cooling stations during periods of extreme heat.

Under the planned advisory, riders should not be penalized for delayed deliveries caused by the need to seek shelter from dangerous temperatures, Tolentino said.

“Hindi sila i-pe-penalize kung late ang delivery. Pagbibigyan sila ng puwang na sumilong muna sa mga cooling stations,” he said.

(They won’t be penalized if their deliveries are late. They’ll be given time to seek shelter at cooling stations first.)

Tolentino added that he would engage with delivery platforms to encourage them to consider the risks faced by riders working under extreme heat.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has warned the public that El Niño may persist from September through December and possibly into early 2027.

READ: ‘Very strong El Niño’ to persist in PH until early 2027 – Pagasa

El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Pagasa Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis earlier said a very strong El Niño could bring hotter temperatures and significantly reduce rainfall in the country. /gsg