Raffy Tulfo flags continued proliferation of ‘5-5-5’ scheme

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to implement stronger measures to address the longstanding problem of the “5-5-5” scheme, which is being used by some companies to prevent employees from getting regularized after six months.

Tulfo made the call during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, which tackled bills on anti-endo (end-of-contract) and stronger employees’ security of tenure. 

Tulfo is chairman of the Senate labor panel. 

He said schemes like “5-5-5” remain “rampant and normal” across industries in the labor sector, despite existing policies put in place by the government and the declaration of the Supreme Court (SC) that such practices are illegal and violate workers’ rights. 

“Magha-hire sila ng empleyado at dapat na imbes na six months kasi ‘pag six months magkakaroon ng benefits, pagdating ng five months, sisibakin and then ire-rehire. Then another five months. And after that sisibakin ulit, then rehire,” he said.

(They will hire employees and then fire them after five months because by the sixth month, they’re supposed to get benefits already. Then they will be employed for another five months. After that, they will be fired again, then rehired.) 

“That has been the practice of so many, especially sa service industry... Sa mga manufacturing gano’n din, sa mga fast food,” he added.  

(That has been the practice of so many, especially in the service industry… In manufacturing as well, in fast food chains.) 

In response, DOLE Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio said the “5-5-5” scheme should not be happening.

He said they are conducting inspections to ensure that such practices do not continue. 

Tulfo, however, said this is “easier said than done.” 

“Ang problema kasi sa inyong mga taga-DOLE, hindi kayo nagi-inspect. Kung mag-inspect man kayo, nakatakip ‘yung mata niyo… Paglabas ng compound may bitbit nang envelope,” he said.

(The problem with you DOLE employees is that you don’t inspect. Even if you do, your eyes are covered... When you leave the compound, you’re already carrying an envelope.) 

Tulfo further alleged that some DOLE inspectors, during fieldwork, limit their interactions to human resources personnel instead of the workers themselves. 

Bitonio said DOLE’s inspectors have procedures to follow when conducting inspections.  

“Kung meron po tayong mga inspector na hindi nakakagawa ng gano’n, ay kailangan merong karampatang aksyong administribo para sa kanila,” he said.  

(If we have inspectors who are unable to do that, there must be appropriate administrative action against them.) — JMA, GMA News