GENERAL LUNA, Siargao del Norte — As a world-famous for its amazing surfer's waves, the island province of Siargao is dead set in creating a resilience surfing paradise with the help of the International Labor Organization (ILO) to promote and enhance tourism in the province.

Over a hundred informal workers in Siargao have already registered at the One-Stop Island Services center, thus gaining access to social protection, livelihood support and employment opportunities.

To ensure fast-track the centre's creation, the ILO and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) have partnered with Lokal Lab at the Tinabangay to hold the One-Stop Service registration that was held in General Luna from November 29 to 30 the current year.

The initiative assisted hundreds of informal workers in the agro-fishery, tourism, digital freelance and micro and small enterprise sectors under the ILO’s Rise from Multiple Crises program through the integrated formalization of informal economy and Rebuilding Better Coconut Economy projects.

Siargao, famous as an international surfing destination, relies heavily on tourism and agriculture but in recent years, farmers, fisher folk and tourism operators in the province have become increasingly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change ang global warming. Stronger typhoons and environmental shocks have pushed many into poverty, worsened by limited access to social protection.

According to ILO national project coordinator Linartes Viloria, they will provide an integrated and streamlined social protection registration to support farmers, fishers, tourism and informal economy workers.

The ILO’s World Social Protection Report 2024-26 highlights how social protection helps people adapt and cope with climate shocks by providing income security and healthcare access. It also serves as cushion for families, workers and businesses during the green transition, promoting sustainable economic practices.
For its part, the labor department has extended livelihood support to disadvantaged and displaced workers through its community-based safety net initiative that provides temporary employment to workers in the informal economy.

“We are committed to supporting the transition of informal economy workers to the formal sector. Through this, we bring livelihood support and extend social protection and employment services directly and reach those vulnerable to climate change,” DoLE Caraga regional director Atty. Joffrey Suyao cited.

Featuring the ILO’s Single window service model, the One-Stop Island Services center brought together the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Pag-IBIG, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as local governments in providing registration services and information sessions.

Siargao has been identified in labor inspections as an area needing improvement in social protection compliance, with many workers lacking the necessary registration and understanding of its importance. With the initiative, a more resilient and inclusive island would be established by educating workers on the importance and benefits of social protection. This is in addition to providing a comprehensive and integrated approach for entrepreneurship and employment facilitation.

Finally, the initiative, which is supported by the ILO’s Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA) with contributions from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Spain, aims to promote decent work and extend social protection.