The first national dialogue in the Philippines on sustainable aquaculture and decent work gathered 150 key stakeholders from government, labour, business, and development sectors.
Photo: Rani Pajaro/ILO
The Philippines has held its first national dialogue focused on advancing decent work, human rights, and responsible business practices in the aquaculture sector.
The two-day event in Makati City, organised by the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) with support from the Government of Japan, brought together around 150 representatives from government, industry, labour, and development sectors. It forms part of the ILO’s Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Supply Chains (RISSC) Project, funded by Japan, which has been working since 2023 to strengthen supply chains and promote responsible business conduct in key industries across Asia.
In the Philippines, the project targets aquaculture and has supported the creation of the country’s first Industry Tripartite Council (ITC) for the sector in Region 12 (Soccsksargen, south-central Mindanao) - a major hub for fisheries and aquaculture.
At the dialogue, the ILO launched its flagship study Decent work and responsible business practices in the aquaculture sector in the Philippines, described as a pioneering effort to map the sector’s labour and business conditions. The study focuses on shrimp and seaweed, two of the country’s most important aquaculture exports.
Aquaculture plays a important role in the Philippines economy, accounting for 55.95% of total fisheries production in 2023 and generating a gross value added of around US$2.18 billion, or 11% of total GVA for agriculture, forestry and fishing. Of roughly 2.3 million people engaged in fisheries-related activities, more than 260,000 work in aquaculture - although the ILO notes this is likely an underestimate due to the prevalence of informal employment.
Despite this importance, the study found that aquaculture workers still face “significant decent work deficits,” including low and unstable incomes, unsafe working conditions, limited access to social protection, and discrimination. It also identified structural challenges such as weak worker organisation, fragmented employer representation, and limited social dialogue.
The report places these issues within the context of global pressures such as the COVID-19 pandemic, trade tensions, technological change, and the climate crisis, which have exposed both the importance and fragility of supply chains.
The ILO argues that sustainability must now be central to public policy, business behaviour, and labour practices to ensure a resilient and "human-centred" future of work.
In a message included in the report, Philippine Labour Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma noted that aquaculture, composed largely of micro and small enterprises, “generates significant employment and income opportunities” but faces persistent challenges. “The industry’s high degree of informality and lack of representation in local and national policy-making bodies, as well as the need to improve working conditions and productivity, remain pressing issues,” he said.
Laguesma added that DOLE Region XII has established an Aquaculture Industry Tripartite Council and begun developing a ten-year strategic action plan, aiming to improve the sector’s productivity and job-creation potential while strengthening compliance with labour standards and social dialogue.
The ILO study, which is anchored in the organisation’s Decent Work Agenda, calls for greater collaboration among government, employers, and workers to address these challenges, and offers practical recommendations for improvements.
“As global demand for ethically sourced seafood grows, the industry must meet rising expectations for transparency, ESG due diligence, and stronger labour rights protection,” said Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines.