Tulfo threatens to block DoLE budget over Camanava wage underpayment

SENATOR Rafael T. Tulfo said he would block the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DoLE) budget if it does not address alleged negligence by its field inspectors.

At a Senate hearing, Mr. Tulfo called for inspectors to be fired, citing complaints he has received about employers in northern Metro Manila who are underpaying their workers.

“I promise you, I will defer your budget if no negligent field inspector is fired. Workers will also not complain to me if they are not oppressed by their employers,” Mr. Tulfo said.

He said he has received complaints about manufacturing companies in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela that are allegedly underpaying their workers, some receiving as little as P280 per day.

He added that field inspectors failed to consult workers on their visits, limiting their interactions to “closed-door meetings” with companies’ human resources representatives.

“If the DoLE people were doing their job, they would have caught the companies that are not paying wages properly,” he added.

The DoLE has been allocated a budget of P55.2 billion under the 2026 National Expenditure Plan.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said DoLE will address problems with its field inspectors.

“(We) commit to resolve and address these concerns… we will respond and resolve the concerns relayed,” he told senators.

Mr. Tulfo has also requested a list of all field inspectors in the industrial northern districts of Metro Manila, known as Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela), the companies they visited, and their inspection reports. — Adrian H. Halili