Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino has laid bare a critical shortage of active labor inspectors at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), revealing that of 1,210 inspectors across 17 regional offices, only 477 are actually deployed in the field nationwide.
Tolentino made the disclosure during an interview on DZRH News program “Special on Saturday” on May 30, days after the deadly collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Angeles City, Pampanga that killed at least four workers and left dozens others trapped.
“Paano mo maisasakatuparan ‘yung trabaho ng labor inspection sa ngayon sa Article 128 ng Labor Code?” he lamented, enumerating the inspectors’ duties—checking first aid compliance, work environments, safety equipment, and the legality of workers’ barracks on construction sites.
Tolentino said the problem was brought into focus during his visit to the DOLE Region 3 office in the wake of the Angeles City building collapse, where he learned that only 38 labor inspector teams were covering 7,000 establishments, including both private and government construction projects.
He added that the situation is compounded by an aging workforce among DOLE’s inspectors, raising further doubts about the department’s capacity to enforce safety standards across the country.
“Napag-alaman ko na sa 477 ay may edad na rin ‘yung iba. Sabihin mo kakayanin talaga,” he said.
As an immediate response, Tolentino said he has tapped the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to help address the gap, after a meeting with TESDA Director General Kiko Benitez.
“Sabi ko, sa dinami-dami ng na-training niyo sa TESDA, baka naman may magku-qualify na labor inspector?” he said, adding that TESDA committed to providing around 200 young graduates with relevant skills—in healthcare, caregiving, and construction—who will be trained by DOLE as labor inspectors.
Tolentino said he would seek additional funding for inspector salaries from the legislature during the upcoming budget hearings, noting that congressional support would be essential for a long-term solution.
“Kakailanganin namin ng congressional support dito kasi siyempre may sweldo po ito,” he said.
