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Harmonizing ILO C-190 with local labor laws: Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, during plenary session Tuesday, December 5, 2023, recommends the harmonization of the provisions of the International Labor Organization Convention No. 190 or the Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (ILO C190) with domestic labor laws. In his co-sponsorship speech on Senate Resolution no. 877 concurring in the ratification of C190, Villanueva said the Senate’s concurrence to the ratification of this Convention shows the country’s commitment to address the comments of the 2023 report of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) regarding the numerous allegations of murders of trade unionists and other anti-union violence in the Philippines and the lack of investigation into these incidents. “Mr. President, as we express our full support to ILO C190 today, we recognize that there is also the urgent need to align our domestic laws to our commitments under this Convention,” the senator said, as he reiterated his call for the technical working group that will be convened by the Committee on Foreign Relations to consider Senate Bill No. (SBN) 359 or the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy (MACWIE) and SBN 136 or the Freelancers Protection Act, among others, in the discussions. “Indeed, harmonizing our local legislation with our obligations under ILO C190 is a step towards realizing the world we envision — a world where everyone can contribute and thrive without the fear of violence or harassment; a world where dignity reigns supreme,” the majority leader said. “Let us be reminded that concurring in the ratification of this milestone treaty is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative to ensure that no worker faces violence or harassment while simply trying to earn a livelihood,” he added. (Bibo Nueva Espana/Senate PRIB)