title: Occupational rehabilitation policy and practice in the Philippines: initiatives and challenges.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Challenges to occupational rehabilitation or work integration or reintegration which include the socio-political system, poor labour infrastructure, legislation implementation and monitoring limit work participation of an estimated eight million Filipinos with disabilities. This paper aims to present government-level initiatives and ongoing challenges of occupational rehabilitation as a field of practice and research in the Philippines.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a review of occupational rehabilitation literature relevant to the Philippines looking at legislation, policies, and practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While several socio-political mechanisms exists, we found no concrete information on the surveillance or distinction of services and their effectiveness provided under occupational rehabilitation and there was also no systemic reporting of the characteristics of the population (persons with disabilities vs. injured workers) requiring those services--despite the effort of the Philippines in adopting a state policy for the total development of persons with disabilities towards gainful employment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dearth of information and literature in occupational rehabilitation is likely related to the scarcity of research in the broader area of occupational safety and health and work disability management in the Philippines. The findings of this study could guide work disability management and address further development of infrastructure in occupational rehabilitation in the Philippines.
authors.affiliation: Public Administration Program, Graduate School Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.
authors.forename: Maria Elizabeth
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Olavides-Soriano
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ampo
authors.forename: Reuben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Escorpizo
mesh_terms: D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D010679:Philippines; D011057:Politics; D011640:Public Policy; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends