THE Commission on Appointments (CA) confirmed on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, the appointment of Attorney Bienvenido Laguesma as the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).The CA committee on labor, employment, social welfare, and migrant workers recommended Laguesma’s confirmation to the plenary after answering various queries concerning the department.Among the issues raised during the interpellation was the standardization of the minimum wage in the country.Laguesma believes that regional wage fixing, rather than nationalizing salary, is the better approach given the current state of the country’s economy, among other things.Bacolod City Representative Greg Gasataya, who is the CA panel chairman, vouched for Laguesma’s capability to lead the agency, citing his years of experience in the agency and his involvement in various socio-economic activities that showcased his value for service, integrity, and peace.Laguesma served as a DOLE undersecretary from 1990 to 1998.He served as the agency’s secretary from 1998 to 2001 under the administration of former President Joseph Estrada.Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also supported Laguesma’s appointment.”We are very lucky that he came out of retirement to serve once again the Filipino people. He is the person we need to help heal the labor sector,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)