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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 23) – The Secretary of Labor, Silvestre Bello III, expressed his confidence that the resolution of the European Union (EU) calling for the withdrawal of the country’s commercial privileges under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (SPG +) will have no basis.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Bello said he believes that the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, will find no valid and compelling reason to withdraw such privileges.
Bello also played down fears that some 200,000 Filipinos could lose their jobs if the Philippines loses its GSP + privileges.
“We did well in the country’s report to the European Commission that provides a scorecard of the Philippines’ compliance with 27 international conventions,” Bello said in a statement.
Under GSP + programs, developing countries receive incentives to export products duty free.
More than 6,200 Filipino products are exported to the EU market.
Bello added that the issues raised by members of the European Parliament have already been resolved.
He also said that the Philippines has met different international labor requirements.
According to the chief of labor, the Philippines is the only ASEAN country that has ratified eight fundamental labor Conventions: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, Labor Convention Forced Labor, Abolition of the Forced Labor Convention, the Minimum Age Convention, the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, the Equal Remuneration Convention and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention.
Bello assured that the government is doing everything possible to comply with the EU’s GSP + requirements.
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