Responsible Supply Chains and Ensuring Workplace Compliance

AmCham Philippines

AmCham came to life in 1902 as the Manila Coffee Round Table and later as Manila Merchants Association. Incorporated in 1920, it has since then recognized and reconfirmed the commitment of American business to the development and welfare of the Philippines and the Filipino people.

This is a commitment of long-standing, as its mission statement declares:

The Chamber exists to serve the interests of U.S. businesses through the participation of members in promoting their long-term objectives while contributing to the civic and economic development of the Philippines.”

Event Details

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the supply chain across various sectors. One of the essential sectors that we need a close look on is Agriculture. The supply and demand for food continues even with the pandemic. The pandemic, however, amplifies the current problem in ensuring food security as most work is halted and disrupted by the COVID-19. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been the champion for responsible business practices in the agriculture sector and its supply chain. The sector involves many actors, suppliers, and subcontractors who are expected to comply with mandated workplace and health protocols for business continuation.

The decision of each employer to resume physical work greatly lies in the government pronouncement of a mandated quarantine category and the issuance of guidelines from the government in establishing health protocols in the workplace. With the evolving nature of mitigating the pandemic, some companies may have difficulty in complying with certain guidelines as these most especially tend to change depending on the local condition.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is the chain of command in terms of ensuring compliance of various industries in observing and maintaining proper health protocols in the workplace while continuing business operations.

In this webinar, Director Khalid Hassan of ILO will give us information on the agriculture sector and its supply chain and how it battles with the pandemic and government intervention, and Dr. Ma. Teresita S. Cucueco, Assistant Secretary, Regional Operations, Labor Standards and Special Concerns Cluster, DOLE will discuss and guide us on the evolving nature of mandated guidelines across many industries.

Speakers

Fredy Guayacan

Program Manager of Responsible Supply Chains in Asia at ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Dr. Ma. Teresita S. Cucueco

Assistant Secretary at Department of Labor and Employment

Fredy Guayacan is an Economist working with the ILO on socially responsible labour practices in global supply chains, he is the manager of the programme Responsible Supply Chains in Asia, a joint programme between the EU, the OECD and the ILO aiming at increasing the understanding and knowledge on CSR in supply chains in targeted sectors across 6 countries in Asia. Prior to this assignment Fredy was the ILO’s Enterprises Specialist for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and has worked in different advisory and managerial capacities with different UN agencies, governments and private sector in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Fredy’s academic background includes a BSc and a MSc in Economics from the University of Gothenburg as well as a MA in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex.

Dr. Ma. Teresita S. Cucueco's designation as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment was formalized last July 2020. She is also a concurrent Director of the agency's Bureau of Working Conditions. Prior to these designations, she was the Executive Director of the DOLE Occupational Safety and Health Center from October 2010 to January 2017.

Cucueco obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from the De La Salle-EAC College of Medicine and her Masters in Occupational Health from the U.P. College of Public Health. She also completed postgraduate academic units in Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Minnesota, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.