# 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.
The current secretary is Bienvenido Laguesma, who assumed office on June 30, 2022.

## List of secretaries of labor and employment

| # | Name | Term Began | Term Ended | President |
| Secretary of Labor ||||||
| 1 | Ramon Torres | 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 | Manuel L. Quezon |
| 4 | Sotero Baluyut | April 1939 | 1940 | Manuel L. Quezon |
| 5 | León Guinto | 1940 | December 1941 | Manuel L. Quezon |
| Secretary of National Defense, Public Works, Communications and Labor ||||||
| 6 | Basilio J. Valdes | December 24, 1941 | August 1, 1944 | Manuel L. Quezon |
| Secretary of Justice, Labor and Welfare ||||||
| 7 | Mariano Eraña | August 8, 1944 | July 11, 1945 | Sergio Osmeña |
| 8 | Marcelo Adurru | July 12, 1945 | May 28, 1946 | Sergio Osmeña |
| Secretary of Labor ||||||
| 9 | Pedro Magsalin | May 28, 1946 | April 15, 1948 | Manuel A. Roxas |
| 9 | Pedro Magsalin | April 17, 1948 | September 21, 1948 | Elpidio Quirino |
| 10 | Primitivo Lovina | September 21, 1948 | October 4, 1950 | Elpidio Quirino |
| 11 | Jose Figueras | October 4, 1950 | December 30, 1953 | Elpidio Quirino |
| 12 | Eleuterio Adeveso | March 10, 1954 | April 21, 1954 | Ramon Magsaysay |
| 13 | Angel M. Castaño | August 22, 1954 | March 17, 1957 | Ramon Magsaysay |
| 13 | Angel M. Castaño | 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 | Diosdado Macapagal |
| 16 | Emilio Q. Espinosa Jr. | December 30, 1965 | September 16, 1967 | Ferdinand E. Marcos |
| 17 | Blas F. Ople | September 16, 1967 | 1971 | Ferdinand E. Marcos |
| 18 | Adrian E. Cristobal | 1971 | 1972 | Ferdinand E. Marcos |
| 19 | Blas F. Ople | 1972 | June 30, 1978 | Ferdinand E. Marcos |
| Minister of Labor and Employment ||||||
| (19) | Blas F. Ople | June 30, 1978 | February 25, 1986 | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Secretary of Labor and Employment ||||||
| 20 | Augusto S. Sanchez | March 25, 1986 | January 4, 1987 | Corazon Aquino |
| 21 | Franklin M. Drilon | January 5, 1987 | January 2, 1990 | Corazon Aquino |
| 22 | Dionisio C. dela Serna | January 3, 1990 | January 19, 1990 | Corazon Aquino |
| 23 | Ruben D. Torres | January 20, 1990 | February 11, 1992 | Corazon Aquino |
| 22 | Ma. Nieves R. Confessor | February 12, 1992 | June 30, 1995 | Fidel V. Ramos |
| 23 | Jose S. Brillantes | July 1, 1995 | January 16, 1996 | Fidel V. Ramos |
| 24 | Leonardo A. Quisumbing | January 16, 1996 | January 26, 1998 | Fidel V. Ramos |
| Act | Cresenciano Trajano | January 26, 1998 | June 30, 1998 | Joseph Ejercito Estrada |
| 25 | Bienvenido Laguesma | June 30, 1998 | January 20, 2001 | Joseph Ejercito Estrada |
| 26 | Patricia Santo Tomas | January 20, 2001 | July 3, 2006 | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 27 | Arturo Brion | July 3, 2006 | March 17, 2008 | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 28 | Marianito D. Roque | March 17, 2008 | June 30, 2010 | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| 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 |
| (25) | Bienvenido Laguesma | June 30, 2022 | Present | Bongbong Marcos |