Introduction

International Labour Organization (ILO) is the specialized UN agency for the world of work. It sets international labour standards, promotes rights at work and encourages decent employment opportunities, the enhancement of social protection and the strengthening of dialogue on work-related issues. ILO is the only tripartite UN agency bringing together governments, employers’, and workers’ representatives.

The ILO holds the Country Office in the Philippines since 1970. Its office premise is located in the centre of Makati business district of Metro Manila. The ILO supports the Philippines in achieving its goal of sustainable and inclusive growth through decent work. The Decent Work Country Programme serves as a tool for delivery based on the following priorities: i) Productive, remunerative, freely chosen and sustainable work and employment opportunities are available for all Filipinos willing to work. ii) Improved labour market governance ensures respect for all rights at work, including fundamental principles and rights at work, international labour standards and human rights. Iii) Equitable social protection is available and accessible to all. To help realize these, the Office helps strengthen the institutional capacities of workers’ and employers’ organizations as well as the overall capacity of the country to ratify and apply international labour standards.

The Country Office is supported by a pool of technical specialists mostly pooled in the Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific housed in the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, except for the Enterprise Development Specialist resident in the Philippines. The Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work is hosted in the ILO Social Finance Programme, at the Enterprises Department in ILO Geneva and will provide technical support.

The Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work was established in 2020 to accelerate the transition from cash to responsible digital wage payments through research, evidence-based advocacy, capacity building of both employers and workers, and the development of inclusive digital payment ecosystems. The Global Centre seeks to enable millions of male and female workers around the world to receive their correct wages, paid digitally into bank accounts or mobile money wallets and make the most out of them for better resilience and economic opportunities. The interventions enable enterprises in various economic sectors to better respect workers’ rights and formalize employment, and to become more productive and to grow.

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The Global Centre has country level interventions in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Peru. In the Philippines, according to the 2021 Financial Inclusion Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, salaries in the private sector were still received in cash by 70 per cent of their payees. The project engages the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Department of Labour and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas, labour groups such as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, associations of financial and payroll service providers and others to address the gap and advance the agenda. Notably, in cooperation with ECOP, the project has co-organized a series of awareness raising webinars and engagement meetings to identify challenges faced by enterprises and workers and identify solutions. It also adapted and introduced its training programme on responsible wage digitization for MSMEs, by training trainers who have subsequently delivered the training to MSMEs. The project is monitoring changes at enterprise level and provides support when needed. The first phase of the project in the Philippines (2023-2024) has raised the profile of digital wages and demonstrated that it can be an effective tool to further digitalize SMEs, boost account ownership among workers, and promote formalization. The achievements need to be sustained and scaled up for the benefits of enterprises and workers. The Global Centre, in collaboration with its partners, is exploring strategies to facilitate the widespread adoption of digital wage payments. The primary goal of the project’s second phase (2025-2027) will be to refine and implement these strategies.

Reporting lines

The National Project Officer will work under the general supervision of the Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines. He/she will report to and receive technical guidance from the managing team of the Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work in Social Finance in Geneva as well as the Enterprise Development Specialist of CO-Manila. The incumbent will benefit from part time admin and finance support from ILO Manila office and will coordinate with relevant ILO projects in the country.

Description of Duties

The National Project Officer will be responsible for the efficient, effective and client-oriented delivery of activities aimed at promoting the transition to responsible wage payments in the Philippines and for monitoring and reporting on progress:

In particular, the incumbent will:

• Assist in the design of relevant activities to promote transition to responsible digital wage payments in consultation with national stakeholders and coordination with relevant other ILO projects in the Philippines
• Coordinate, execute and monitor the agreed activities to promote transition to responsible digital wage payments in accordance with ILO programming guidelines, and administrative and financial procedures
• Coordinate with the Global Centre team for the effective management of funds/budget assigned to the activities. Provide accurate, timely and complete information on the status of activities.
• Stay abreast of national development plans, priorities and reports related to digital finance and payment ecosystems, financial inclusion, wage protection; provide analysis on the findings and propose action in response to emerging challenges. This includes participating in meetings of the working groups associated with the implementation of the National Strategy on Financial Inclusion spearheaded by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, National Action Plan on Digitalization of SMEs and/or other relevant national initiatives.
• Provide technical advice, support and follow up to national partners to expedite implementation of the country activities and meet targets.

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• Organize and facilitate virtual and in-person seminars, workshops, training sessions and meetings to raise awareness on digitization of wage payments, disseminate knowledge, and build relationships; and speak on behalf of the ILO and the Global Centre when attending these gatherings.
• Prepare briefs and periodical reports on progress of the activities and contribute to the development of country level and global knowledge products including training and capacity building guides, manuals, reports, working papers, briefs, case studies, blogs, etc.
• Assist the Global Centre team in fostering contacts and relations with governments, ministries, employers’ and workers’ organizations, non-governmental organizations, target groups and donors, and promote opportunities for collaboration towards planning and implementation of programme activities as far as they are related to digitization of wage payments and associated financial services.
• Assist in conducting research work on the impact of digital wage payments on financial inclusion of workers, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, respect of labour rights, formalisation, business productivity and efficiencies.
• Serve as a focal point on digital wage payments within ILO Manila, identify areas of common interests and synergies related to responsible digital wage payments and associated financial services and coordinate actions.

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• Draft or translate documents, press releases, official correspondence, statements and speeches and other public information materials.
• Participate in missions to monitor and report on programme implementation.
• Assist the Global Centre managing team and CO-Manila in promoting relationships with multi-lateral and bilateral donor community and oversee and monitor resource mobilization proposals.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Enterprises specialist and the Global Centre managing team.

Required qualifications

Education

First level university degree in economics, finance, business management, development studies, or related field.

Experience

At least two years of professional experience in the fields of enterprise development, financial inclusion, digital financial services or digital payments, women’s economic empowerment.

Languages

Excellent command of English and good knowledge of the official language of the duty station

Competencies

• Knowledge of programme and budget, project administration and evaluation concepts and procedures and of the mandate and structure of labour market institutions in the Philippines
• Knowledge of the office’s financial rules and regulations
• Good knowledge of the context and challenges for the project areas of expertise
• Strong analytical skills and ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution and good drafting skills
• Good ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyze problems with implementation
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to clarify information
• Demonstrate collaborative and team work experience and ability to work effectively with a multicultural and interdisciplinary team as well as work on his/her own initiative
• Ability to work independently, quickly, precisely, and take initiative and responsibility
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet the deadline
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, web-browsers and database applications
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.