Short answer. Yes. Article 3 of the Labor Code declares that the State shall afford protection to labor and assure the rights of workers to self-organization, collective bargaining, security of tenure, and just and humane conditions of work. This is the foundational policy that shapes how all labor laws are interpreted and applied.
What the law says
The State shall afford protection to labor, promote full employment, ensure equal work opportunities regardless of sex, race or creed and regulate the relations between workers and employers. The State shall assure the rights of workers to self-organization, collective bargaining, security of tenure, and just and humane conditions of work.
Labor Code, Article 3 — Basic Policy Of The State. Read the full provision →
What Article 3 actually says
Article 3 of the Labor Code is the basic policy declaration of the entire Code. It imposes duties on the State in four areas: protecting labor, promoting full employment, ensuring equal work opportunities regardless of sex, race or creed, and regulating the relations between workers and employers. Beyond these policy directions, Article 3 expressly assures workers of specific rights: the right to self-organization, collective bargaining, security of tenure, and just and humane conditions of work. These are not aspirations — they are declared rights that the Code is built around.
What security of tenure means for workers
Security of tenure is the right of an employee not to be dismissed except for just cause or authorized cause, and only after following due process. The State's assurance of this right, declared in Article 3, means that dismissals must comply with the Labor Code's substantive and procedural requirements — not merely with whatever an employer considers convenient. When the law is ambiguous about whether an employee was lawfully dismissed, the policy in Article 3 directs that the doubt be resolved in favor of the worker. This protective orientation runs through all labor disputes.
Equal work opportunities regardless of sex, race or creed
Article 3 is also the statutory basis for the principle of non-discrimination in employment. The State is required to ensure that work opportunities are available without discrimination based on sex, race, or creed. This does not mean all distinctions in employment are prohibited — genuine qualifications and occupational requirements remain valid. But it means that blanket exclusions based on these protected characteristics are contrary to basic State policy, and specific anti-discrimination provisions in the Labor Code and related laws are all grounded in and consistent with Article 3.
How this policy affects your situation
If you are a worker facing dismissal, demotion, non-payment of wages, or any other workplace concern, Article 3 is the starting point for understanding your legal position. Philippine labor law is designed to be protective — courts and labor authorities are instructed to apply it in a way that favors workers when the law is unclear. This does not mean workers always win, but it does mean that when an employer's action is arguably within or outside the law, the protective policy of Article 3 shapes how the question is resolved. Knowing this policy exists and applies is the foundation for understanding why specific labor rights are as strong as they are.