NCC recaps feat in Economic Freedom Index 2015 with Heritage Foundation and DOLE

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The National Competitiveness Council through its Private Sector Co-Chairman Mr. Guillermo Luz met with the Heritage Foundation’s Executive Director Ambassador Terry Miller and Senior Analyst Mr. Anthony Kim to recount and celebrate the country’s overall performance in the Economic Freedom Index. The Philippines’ rank, currently 76th from the previous 89th place in 2013 based on the recently-released results, is a testament to the continuous progress of the country. NCC Private Sector Co-Chair Guillermo Luz (R) with DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Officials while discussing efforts to improve Labor Freedom.
NCC Private Sector Co-Chair Guillermo Luz (R) with DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Officials while discussing efforts to improve Labor Freedom.

NCC Private Sector Co-Chair Guillermo Luz (R) with DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Officials while discussing efforts to improve Labor Freedom.
   
One of the key contributors to this improvement is the country’s performance in the Labor Freedom indicator where the Philippines has consistently climbed the ladder, bringing the country another eight steps higher than last year’s ranking for the same indicator. Mr. Anthony Kim described this as “Labor Freedom taking centre stage of this (country’s) development...this is something to be proud of.”
 (L-R) NCC Private Co-Chair Guillermo Luz, Heritage Foundation’s CTE Director Ambassador Terry Miller, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, and Heritage Foundation’s Senior Policy Analyst Anthony Kim after the meeting on Economic Freedom Index 2015.(L-R) NCC Private Co-Chair Guillermo Luz, Heritage Foundation’s CTE Director Ambassador Terry Miller, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, and Heritage Foundation’s Senior Policy Analyst Anthony Kim after the meeting on Economic Freedom Index 2015.
   
The success of the country can be largely attributed to the Department of Labor and Employment’s careful and diligent work in improving the compliance capabilities of organizations and businesses across the country to the regulations and guidelines set by the Department aimed to improve the competitiveness of the country’s Labor and enabling systems vis-a-vis its neighbour economies.
 
Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz took the gathering’s enthusiasm a notch higher when she led the discussion on the efforts undertaken by DOLE in order to pull up the ranking of the Philippines – from effectively and further involving the multi-sector representatives in the crafting and passage of policies; to unifying the minimum wage rates across the country to establish a standard far from risks of too much politicking; to making sure that the minimum wage rates are carefully observed in all areas; to empowering “Labor Law Compliance Officers”; and several other programs and initiatives. The most concrete benefit of these reforms is the repositioning of DOLE as an empowering body, reaching out to businesses and clients not to catch “Violators” but to assist organizations towards sound compliance and practices.   
 
On top of DOLE’s promising strategies, Ambassador Miller re-emphasized the importance of looking after the labor force’s welfare within and outside the formal labor structures. The Ambassador advised to carefully consider the costs of societal decisions and advised to make sure the benefits transcend formal structures to encompass even unemployed and the underemployed. NCC Private Sector Co-Chairman Mr. Luz reassured the Ambassador that the overall goal of NCC Initiatives, together with Partner Development Agencies, is aimed towards inclusive growth and competitiveness of the country. 
 
The National Competitiveness Council met with the Heritage Foundation, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Investors Relations Office last February 17, 2015 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Manila City.