Occupational safety and health (OSH) in the Philippines remains a contested and fragile terrain, where reforms have historically followed disaster rather than prevention. This report examines the current state of OSH in the country, situating workplace safety within its broader political, economic, and social context. Drawing from government data, workers’ documentation, and civil society reports, the study highlights systemic failures, historical struggles, and pathways for reform.

This report was first published in the 2025 East Asia and Southeast Asia Subregional Report of ANROEV—“a coalition of victims’ groups, trade unions and other labour groups across Asia, all committed to the rights of Victims and for overall improvement of health and safety at the workplace.”

In this report, Dr. Leonard D. Javier exposes in great detail the violent, deadly, and catastrophic situation of occupational safety and health (OSH) in the Philippines, locates its root causes in history, society, and the current system, points to its rotten core, and hopefully clears a path forward. How can workers succeed in achieving genuinely safe and healthy work? Read the full report for free: