CHR, DOLE launch LIFE program for labor rights defenders

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have launched a new financial and economic assistance program called LIFE (Labor, Intervention, Financial, and Economic) Assistance Program to support labor rights defenders.

This initiative aims to provide targeted economic recovery support to individuals who have faced harassment, threats, or violence due to their involvement in union organizing and labor rights advocacy.

Beneficiaries of the LIFE program can receive various forms of aid, including livelihood assistance, scholarships, government internships, TESDA skills training, and referrals for specific interventions.

The program underscores the joint commitment of CHR and DOLE to ensure that Filipino workers can live with dignity and are empowered to claim their rights.

The LIFE program is a result of a memorandum of agreement and data sharing agreement signed between CHR and DOLE in October 2023.

These agreements are partly in response to observations made during the High-Level Tripartite Mission of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

CHR will provide DOLE with a list of labor-related cases it has investigated to help determine beneficiaries for the LIFE program.

The program also aligns with Executive Order No. 23, s. 2023, which reinforces and protects the freedom of association and the right to organize for workers.