2024 Research Briefs

Policy Issue and Introduction

Renewable energy refers to energy generated from naturally replenished sources like sunlight, wind, water, plants, and geothermal heat. It includes established technologies such as hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal energy as well as emerging sources like solar photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, and ocean energy (IRENA, 2019). Renewables offer energy security as they utilize domestic resources, unlike importing fossil fuels. Solar, wind, hydro, and other renewables also produce negligible greenhouse gas emissions during operations, helping address climate change (IPCC, 2022). The Philippines has abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, geothermal, hydro, and biomass that can meet and even exceed domestic demand if fully tapped (Gulagi et al., 2021).

Policy Issue and Introduction

Renewable energy refers to energy generated from naturally replenished sources like sunlight, wind, water, plants, and geothermal heat. It includes established technologies such as hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal energy as well as emerging sources like solar photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, and ocean energy (IRENA, 2019). Renewables offer energy security as they utilize domestic resources, unlike importing fossil fuels. Solar, wind, hydro, and other renewables also produce negligible greenhouse gas emissions during operations, helping address climate change (IPCC, 2022). The Philippines has abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, geothermal, hydro, and biomass that can meet and even exceed domestic demand if fully tapped (Gulagi et al., 2021).

Policy Issue and Introduction

Renewable energy refers to energy generated from naturally replenished sources like sunlight, wind, water, plants, and geothermal heat. It includes established technologies such as hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal energy as well as emerging sources like solar photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, and ocean energy (IRENA, 2019). Renewables offer energy security as they utilize domestic resources, unlike importing fossil fuels. Solar, wind, hydro, and other renewables also produce negligible greenhouse gas emissions during operations, helping address climate change (IPCC, 2022). The Philippines has abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, geothermal, hydro, and biomass that can meet and even exceed domestic demand if fully tapped (Gulagi et al., 2021).

Policy Issue

The Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in the sugar industry was institutionalized with the passage of Republic Act No. 6982 in 1991. From the lien imposed on the gross production of sugar, 80 percent is distributed as cash bonus, with the remaining 20 percent being utilized to implement socio-economic programs. The latter is further allocated for socio-economic projects (9%), death benefit program (5%), maternity benefit program (3%), and administrative expenses (3%) of the Sugar Tripartite Council (STC), the District Tripartite Council (DTC) and Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC). After decades of implementation, SAP as a holistic social protection intervention is relevant and timely to be revisited to determine which areas succeed and needs improvement, in realizing the program objectives of augmenting the income and enabling the sugar workers and their families to enjoy a decent living.

Policy Issue

The Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in the sugar industry was institutionalized with the passage of Republic Act No. 6982 in 1991. From the lien imposed on the gross production of sugar, 80 percent is distributed as cash bonus, with the remaining 20 percent being utilized to implement socio-economic programs. The latter is further allocated for socio-economic projects (9%), death benefit program (5%), maternity benefit program (3%), and administrative expenses (3%) of the Sugar Tripartite Council (STC), the District Tripartite Council (DTC) and Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC). After decades of implementation, SAP as a holistic social protection intervention is relevant and timely to be revisited to determine which areas succeed and needs improvement, in realizing the program objectives of augmenting the income and enabling the sugar workers and their families to enjoy a decent living.

Policy Issue

The Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in the sugar industry was institutionalized with the passage of Republic Act No. 6982 in 1991. From the lien imposed on the gross production of sugar, 80 percent is distributed as cash bonus, with the remaining 20 percent being utilized to implement socio-economic programs. The latter is further allocated for socio-economic projects (9%), death benefit program (5%), maternity benefit program (3%), and administrative expenses (3%) of the Sugar Tripartite Council (STC), the District Tripartite Council (DTC) and Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC). After decades of implementation, SAP as a holistic social protection intervention is relevant and timely to be revisited to determine which areas succeed and needs improvement, in realizing the program objectives of augmenting the income and enabling the sugar workers and their families to enjoy a decent living.

Policy Issue and Objectives

Mental health (MH) is vital to worker well-being, job performance, and productivity which can be determined by multiple interacting factors such as the work environment. Occupational safety and health (OSH) standards often address this by implementing stress management programs, MH services, and workplace policies. However, there is a dearth of information relative to the effective occupational structure, support mechanisms, compensation benefits, and public advocacy among existing policies on workplace MH. Hence, effective policy implementation on workplace MH is needed to prevent, protect, and promote safe and healthy workplaces. Specifically, this paper aimed to (1) document workers’ MH trends; (2) identify contributing stressors; (3) document support mechanisms; (4) and provide recommendations for improving policies and compensation programs for work-related MH conditions.

Policy Issue and Objectives

Mental health (MH) is vital to worker well-being, job performance, and productivity which can be determined by multiple interacting factors such as the work environment. Occupational safety and health (OSH) standards often address this by implementing stress management programs, MH services, and workplace policies. However, there is a dearth of information relative to the effective occupational structure, support mechanisms, compensation benefits, and public advocacy among existing policies on workplace MH. Hence, effective policy implementation on workplace MH is needed to prevent, protect, and promote safe and healthy workplaces. Specifically, this paper aimed to (1) document workers’ MH trends; (2) identify contributing stressors; (3) document support mechanisms; (4) and provide recommendations for improving policies and compensation programs for work-related MH conditions.

Policy Issue and Objectives

Mental health (MH) is vital to worker well-being, job performance, and productivity which can be determined by multiple interacting factors such as the work environment. Occupational safety and health (OSH) standards often address this by implementing stress management programs, MH services, and workplace policies. However, there is a dearth of information relative to the effective occupational structure, support mechanisms, compensation benefits, and public advocacy among existing policies on workplace MH. Hence, effective policy implementation on workplace MH is needed to prevent, protect, and promote safe and healthy workplaces. Specifically, this paper aimed to (1) document workers’ MH trends; (2) identify contributing stressors; (3) document support mechanisms; (4) and provide recommendations for improving policies and compensation programs for work-related MH conditions.

Policy Issue

The LMC, created in the essence of participatory democracy, is a non-adversarial and nonadjudicatory venue for both labor and management to work hand-in-hand in discussing issues not covered by collective bargaining agreements, such as work environments, business operations, and productivity, among others. On the other hand, a GM is a non-adversarial mechanism where certain rules of procedure are followed for the adjustment and resolution of grievances arising from the interpretation or the implementation of the CBA, those arising from the enforcement of company personnel policies, and violations of any provision of the CBA or company personnel policies.