Maragtas S. V. Amante

Maragtas S. V. Amante is a well-known contemporary Kinaray-a (Visayan) writer.

Dr. Maragtas S.V. Amante is a professor of industrial relations at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. He has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, research and consultancy work in the areas of industrial relations, economics of human resources, and compensation. His research, publications and advocacy emphasize the interdisciplinary approach, using the tools of the social sciences, law and management, to promote decent work, and innovative resolution of issues in employment relations. He had consultancy work for various stakeholders in industrial relations, including trade unions, the National Wages and Productivity Commission of the Department of Labor and Employment (NWPC-DOLE), the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), the ASEAN Secretariat, the International Labor Organization (ILO) among other agencies. He was an organizer, negotiator and officer of the All U.P. Workers Union, and the All U.P. Academic Employees Union, in the University of the Philippines, which has more than 9,000 employees in 10 campuses nationwide. In 2002 to 2007, Dr Amante was a consultant and facilitator with the ASEAN Secretariat and the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on a series of meetings and dialogues with government, employers and workers representatives on industrial relations.

Amante graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of the Philippines’ School of Economics in 1983. He was a recipient of the first batch COCOFED scholarship grantee in Silliman University, where he studied BS Agriculture from 1975 to 1979, until he transferred to U.P. After graduation in 1983, he was recruited into the staff of the University of the Philippines’ School of Labor and Industrial Relations after graduation, by Dean Jose C. Gatchalian. In 1986, he was granted an Asia Foundation fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in policy economics, which he finished in 1986, from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign, in the United States. His interest in Japanese human resource development led him to pursue doctoral studies in Japan, under the Mombusho (Japanese Ministry of Education) Fellowship Grant. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in 1993, from Keio University in Tokyo, under the guidance of Professor Yoko Sano. He lived for around four years in Tokyo, Japan, learning about Japanese society, culture, and work practices.

In 1994, he resumed his academic duties at the University of the Philippines. He was appointed Dean of the U.P. SOLAIR from 1999 – 2001 where he among others supervised the implementation of its infrastructure renewal program, worth about 24 million pesos raised from various sources through the joint efforts of colleagues at the School, led by Dean Rene E. Ofreneo. In 2001, in cooperation with the International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA), he was the co-convenor of the 4th Asian Regional Congress of Industrial Relations, on the theme “Towards Decency and Fairness: Changing Work and Employment Relations in Globalizing Asia”. In 2002-03, he was a research fellow at the Seafarers’ International Research Centre (SIRC) in Cardiff University, the United Kingdom; his research was about employment and industrial relations in the Philippine seafaring industry, in the context of the global labour market. He was a consultant with the ASEAN Secretariat in the area of industrial relations, working with various stakeholders towards a regional framework on labor and human resource development.

In 2007, Dr Amante was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE), JETRO in Chiba City, Tokyo where he did research on the labor dimensions of the Japan Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Contact email: [e-mail]

Source: http://aseanirnet.org/main_aboutus.html [10 February 2007]

Key publications and activities of Dr Maragtas S.V. AMANTE

Recent scholarly works & publications

2005:Social Accountability in Philippine Enterprises. Moving Ahead in Advocacy. Commissioned paper presented on 15 March 2005 at the ECOP - GTZ Roundtable Workshop, Dusit Nikko Hotel.

Health & Safety of Philippine Seafarers. Some Issues and Concerns. Discussion Paper, Occupational Safety & Health Conference, 21 & 22 October 2004, Occupational Safety & Health Centre (OSHC)Department of Labor and Employment. [Published by the National Maritime Polytechnic, Tacloban City]

Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECoP) Member Services Assessment Survey. Commissioned by the ECOP, Makati City. (Final report: 7 January 2005)

* Co author with Minghua ZHAO. “Chinese and Filipino Seafarers: a Race to the Top or the Bottom?” Modern Asian Studies, Cambridge University Press. Volume 39 Issue 03 (July 2005), pp. 535-557.

2004:Philippine Global Seafarers: Ethnicity and Identity in Ships with Multinational Crews. Discussion Paper, Philippine Studies Conference, Pines Hotel 17 & 18 September 2004, Baguio City.

Philippine Seafarers in the Global Labour Market. A Profile Seafarers’ International Research Centre (SIRC), Cardiff University, U.K.See: http://www.psap-parola.org/resources/research/philippine_global_seafarers_12feb2004.pdf

ASEAN Industrial Relations: Is a Regional Framework Possible? Proceedings, 2004 Asian Congress of the International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA), Seoul, Korea 23-26 June 2004. See: http://www.kli.re.kr/iira2004/pro/papers/Amante.pdf

Industrial Democracy in the Rough Seas: Case of Philippine Seafarers. Proceedings, US Industrial Relations Research Association (IIRA), San Diego, 2-5 January 2004.See: http://www.psap-parola.org/resources/research/industrial_democracy_4jan2004.pdfOr: http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/irra/IRRA_Proceedings_2004.pdf [pp. 81-89]

2003:“How much do Filipino seafarers get paid?” Seaway Shipping Digest. September 2003, pages 9-11. Note: Seaway Shipping Digest is a popular industry journal published in the Philippines.

“RP still world’s No. 1 supplier of seafarers”. Seaway Shipping Digest. Issue Number 36, July 2003, cover story, page 5. “RP still largest supplier of seafarers in the world”. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Internet edition. 3 July 2003. [WWW]

2001:Preparing Workers for Changes in the Labor Market: The ASEAN Experience. Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, Functional Cooperation Bureau.

Employability and Demand for Critical Skills and Competencies for Young Workers in the Philippines. Child and Youth Welfare Foundation, Makati City.

* Mismatch in Competencies in Philippine Internal Labor Markets. Asian Productivity Organization. Tokyo, Japan.

Guidelines and Checklist for the Child Labor Free and Child Friendly Firm Recognition Project. Manila: Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

2000:
*“Diversity in Contingent Employment Practices in the Philippines: Policy Options”. Exploring Trends in Employment Relations and New Approaches to Work in the 21st Century. Proceedings of the 12th World Congress of the Industrial Relations Association (IIRA), Tokyo, Track 1. Geneva: IIRA. Pp. 107 - 119.

(1999) ) Philippine Industrial Relations for the 21st Century: Emerging Issues, Challenges and Strategies. Co-editor with J.C. Gatchalian and Gert Gust. Quezon City: University of the Philippines, School of Labor and Industrial Relations and Philippine Industrial Relations Society.

(1999) Poverty Eradication Programs and the Labor Market in the Philippines: An Evaluation of Achievements, Policies and Programs. A Study Commissioned by the International Labor Organization/SEAPAT: Manila.

(1998) with Rene E. Ofreneo and Ina Ortiz, Skills Training and Policy Reforms in the Philippines”, International Labor Organization/SEAPAT: Manila

(1998) with Mel Serrano and Ina Ortiz, Social Security in the Philippine Industrial Relations Context: A Policy Study, commissioned by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Philippine Area Office.

(1998) “Earnings Variation in the Philippine Labor Market”. University of the Philippines, School of Labor and Industrial Relations. Monograph.

* (1997) “Converging and diverging trends in human resources management in the Philippines”, Asia Pacific Business Review Vol. 3 No. 3 & 4, (U.K.)

* (1996) “The ‘Best Practice Model’ and the Japanese Human Resource Approachin the Philippines” Keio Business Review, Keio University Press, Tokyo.Reprinted by The Japan Institute of Labour in Frontiers of Human Resources(a collection of essays in honor of Prof. Yoko Sano)

(1996) “Privatization, the Internal Labor Market, and Human Resources in the Philippines” Annual Report of the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank, EDI/World Bank, Washington D.C.

(1996) “Pay and Employment Patterns of Japanese Firms (Kogaisha) in the Philippines” in Wilfrido V. Villacorta and Ma. Reinaruth D. Carlos (editors) Towards a Shared Future Through Mutual Understanding. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Philippines-Japan Relations, 28-29 July 1995, Dela Salle University Press, Manila.

* (1995) “Employment and Wage Practices of Japanese Firms in the Philippines: Convergence with Filipino-Chinese and Western-Owned Firms” International Journal of Human Resource Management Vol. 6 No. 3 (Sept.), pp. 642-655 (Published by Cardiff University, U.K.)

(1994/95) “Labor Relations and Enterprise Competitiveness in the Philippines”, Phil.Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations Vol. XVI Nos. 1 & 2, pp. 31-49.

* (1995) with Hirohisa Nagai, “Employment Conditions of Filipino Workers inJapan”, in Ong Jin Hui, Chan Kwok Bun and Chew Soon Beng (editors),Crossing Borders: Transmigration in the Asia-Pacific Prentice Hall,Singapore, pp. 456-463.

(1994) Editor, Human Resource Approaches in the Philippines. Study of Japanese, Filipino-Chinese, and Western-Owned Firms, U.P. SOLAIR, Quezon City in cooperation with The Japan Foundation, Tokyo.

(1994) “Pay and Employment Approaches in the Philippines: Study of Japanese, Filipino-Chinese and Western-Owned Firms” in M.S.V. Amante (editor), Human Resource Approaches in the Philippines…, University of the Philippines, School of Labor and Industrial Relations (U.P. SOLAIR),Diliman, Quezon City

* (1993a) “Tensions in Industrial Democracy and Human Resource Management:A Case Study of Japanese Enterprises in the Philippines” Intl. Journal of Human Resource Management Vol. 4 No. 1 (Feb.) pp. 129-158

(1993b) “Human Resources in Japanese Subsidiaries in the Philippines”, Japan Foundation Newsletter Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 16-20.

* (1993c) “Human Resource Management in Japanese Enterprises in the Philippines: Issues and Problems”, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 237-245. (Published by the National University of Singapore)

*(1992a) Internal Labor Markets: Study of Japanese Enterprises in the Philippines (monograph), Fuji Xerox Kobayashi Memorial Fund, Tokyo.

(1992b) co-author with Rene E. Ofreneo and Marie E. Aganon, Japanese Industrial Relations Interface in the Philippines, U.P. SOLAIR, Quezon City in cooperation with The Japan Foundation.

* (1992c) “Filipino ‘Dekasegi Rodosha’ (Migrant Worker) in Japan” Present Issuesof International Migration… The Japan Institute of Labour, Tokyo.

(1990) “Operationalizing the Living Wage”, Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations Vol. 12 No. 1, p. 16-44.

* (1989) “Human Capital, the Institutional and Structural Approach to Wage Determination in Japan: A Review of Literature” Keio Business ReviewVol. 26, pp. 61-80.

(1988) “Living Wage Policy and Economic Development”, Philippine Labor Review Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 44-58.

(1986) Editor, Labor’s Vision of the Economic Recovery. Proceedings of the Roundtable Conference of Labor Leaders, July 7-8, 1986. U.P.SOLAIR, Quezon City in cooperation with The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung,Makati.

Service to the public: national community

Regional examiner, U.P. College Admissions Test, 2004 & 2005; 2000 & 2001

Executive Director, Center for Labor Education, Advocacy & Research Development (CLEARED) Foundation, Inc., June 1998 to December 31, 2001; April 1, 2004 to the present.

Volunteer facilitator & coordinator, Japan Asian Friendship Society, 2003 & 2004; Pandan Waterworks Friendship Project (1993 to 1997, raising funds and implementing a P20 million local waterworks project in Pandan, Antique), with 70 percent funding from the JAFS, Osaka City.

Member, Screening Committee, 2005 Mombugakusho Scholarships, Embassy of Japan.

Member, Panel of Judges, Health & Safety Awards 2004, Occupational Safety & Health Center, Department of Labor and Employment (OSHC – DOLE).

Program Facilitator (external collaborator). December 2004 to January 2005, ILO Subregional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Manila to formulate the Philippine Decent Work Action Programme 2005-2007.

Program Facilitator (external collaborator), December 2, 2004. ILO Subregional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Manila forum on “A Fair Globalization & Decent Work”.

Conference Adviser & Panel Commentator. National Conference on Industrial Relations. Philippine Industrial Relations Society (PIRS), Dusit Nikko Hotel, Makati City. 11 & 12 November 2004.

Service to the public: global community

(2001) Co-convenor of the 4th Asian Regional Congress of Industrial Relations, on the theme “Towards Decency and Fairness: Changing Work and Employment Relations in Globalizing Asia”. in cooperation with the International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA) & the Philippine Industrial Relations Society (PIRS).

(2003 to 2004) Facilitator, ASEAN Industrial Relations Seminars & Workshops, ASEAN Secretariat & Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare:• Regional Seminar on industrial relations, Kuala Lumpur, 26 to 28 February 2003

• Regional Workshop on the Fundamental Framework of Industrial Relations System and Legislation, Tokyo, 6 to 8 July 2003

• Regional Workshop on Wages, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Kuala Lumpur, 8 to 9 March 2004.

• Regional Workshop on the Globalization, Regional Integration, New Technology and Industrial Relations, Bangkok, 6 to 7 September 2004

Panel speaker (commentator), Asian Development Bank (ADB) Workshop on Labor Markets, 19 May 2005.

References

* [http://www.bisaya.com/papers/literature/bio.html www.bisaya.com Visayan Literature page] -- defunct

Profile of Maragtas S.V. Amante. ASEAN Industrial Relations Network. aseanirnet.org/downloads/cv_dramante.doc [accessed 25 March 2007]

Amante, Maragtas S.V. 2007. The Labor Dimension of the Japan Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Vrf/pdf/vrf_429.pdf [accessed 17 December 2007]

Amante, Maragtas S.V. 1997. "Converging and Diversing Trends in HRM: The Philppine 'Halo Halo' Approach. Human Resource Management in the Asia Pacific: Convergence Questioned. Chris Rowley, Editor. London: Frank Cass books.google.co.kr/books?isbn=0714648493 [accessed 15 February 2008]

Amante, Maragtas S.V. 1995. "Employment and wage practices of Japanese firms in the Philippines: convergence with Filipino-Chinese and Western-owned firms". The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 6 Issue 3 1995. Download at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=g739429093~db=all [Accessed 5 October 2007]