Secretary of Labor and Employment (Philippines)

The secretary of labor and employment (Filipino: Kalihim ng Paggawa at Empleyo) is the head of the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippine government and is a member of the president’s Cabinet.^[1]

Secretary of Labor and Employment
Kalihim ng Paggawa at Empleyo
Official seal of the Department of Labor and Employment
Incumbent Vacant since May 22, 2025
Style	The Honorable
Member of	Cabinet, National Security Council
Appointer	The president with the consent of the Commission on Appointments
Term length	No fixed term
Inaugural holder	Ramon Torres
Formation	December 8, 1933 (91 years ago) (1933-12-08)
Website	www.dole.gov.ph

The seat of the secretary of labor and employment is currently vacant as of May 22, 2025.

Facade, DOLE

List of secretaries of labor and employment

#	Image	Name	Position	Tenure started	Tenure ended	President
1		Ramon Torres	Secretary of Labor	December 8, 1933	November 15, 1935	Insular Government (American occupation)
2		Jose Avelino		November 15, 1935	November 1938	Manuel L. Quezon
3		Hermenegildo Villanueva		December 1938	April 1939
4		Sotero Baluyut		April 1939	1940
5		León Guinto		1940	December 1941
6		Basilio J. Valdes	Secretary of National Defense, Public Works, Communications and Labor	December 24, 1941	August 1, 1944
7		Mariano Eraña	Secretary of Justice, Labor and Welfare	August 8, 1944	July 11, 1945	Sergio Osmeña
8		Marcelo Adurru		July 12, 1945	May 28, 1946
9		Pedro Magsalin	Secretary of Labor	May 28, 1946	April 15, 1948	Manuel Roxas
				April 17, 1948	September 21, 1948	Elpidio Quirino
10		Primitivo Lovina		September 21, 1948	October 4, 1950
11		Jose Figueras		October 4, 1950	December 30, 1953
12		Eleuterio Adeveso		March 10, 1954	April 21, 1954	Ramon Magsaysay
13		Angel M. Castaño		August 22, 1954	March 17, 1957
				March 17, 1957	December 30, 1961	Carlos P. Garcia
Act		Norberto B. Romualdez Jr.		January 1962	1962	Diosdado Macapagal
14		Bernardino R. Ables		1962	1964	Diosdado Macapagal
15		Jose B. Lingad		October 1964	December 30, 1965
16		Emilio R. Espinosa Jr.		December 30, 1965	September 16, 1967	Ferdinand Marcos
17		Blas F. Ople		September 16, 1967	1971
18		Adrian E. Cristobal		1971	1972
19		Blas F. Ople		1972	June 30, 1978
			Minister of Labor and Employment	June 30, 1978	February 25, 1986
20		Augusto S. Sanchez	Secretary of Labor and Employment	March 25, 1986	January 4, 1987	Corazon Aquino
21		Franklin M. Drilon		January 5, 1987	January 2, 1990
22		Dionisio C. dela Serna		January 3, 1990	January 19, 1990
23		Ruben D. Torres		January 20, 1990	February 11, 1992
22		Ma. Nieves R. Confessor		February 12, 1992	June 30, 1995	Fidel V. Ramos
23		Jose S. Brillantes		July 1, 1995	January 16, 1996
24		Leonardo A. Quisumbing		January 16, 1996	January 26, 1998
Act		Cresenciano Trajano		January 26, 1998	June 30, 1998	Joseph Ejercito Estrada
25		Bienvenido Laguesma		June 30, 1998	January 20, 2001
26		Patricia Santo Tomas		January 20, 2001	July 3, 2006	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
27		Arturo Brion		July 3, 2006	March 17, 2008
28		Marianito D. Roque		March 17, 2008	June 30, 2010
29		Rosalinda Baldoz		June 30, 2010	June 30, 2016	Benigno S. Aquino III
30		Silvestre Bello III		June 30, 2016	June 30, 2022	Rodrigo Duterte
31		Bienvenido Laguesma		June 30, 2022	Present	Bongbong Marcos

External links

• DOLE website