President Duterte has ordered an end to short-term employment contracts. But labor leaders say the government must do more to protect workers. CGTN's Barnaby Lo has this report.

These government workers risk life and limb making sure commuters can drive safely on this highway. But when they do lose a limb, or life for that matter, they get no compensation.

JASON BYAHE TEMP WORKER "We get nothing from the government. We only get donations from our co-workers. They'll give a dollar or two each and that's it."

They're what's known as job order workers. They're hired for six months at a time, and get no additional benefits apart from their daily wages. In the private sector, the equivalent is the so-called contractual employee.

BARNABY LO MANILA One of the major campaign promises of President Rodrigo Duterte, and one of the factors that most likely got him elected, was an end to temp hiring or what's known here as "endo". Endo is short for end of contract. Now what it is the practice of companies of hiring employees for only a few months, typically five or six months. Critics say this is a way for companies to save money by skirting their responsibility to give workers social and healthcare benefits required under the law for regular employees.

Labor and business groups agree "endo" is illegal. But labor union leaders want more; they say Duterte promised to adopt a policy of direct hiring, but that his executive order prohibiting quote, illegal contract and sub-contract hiring, does not do enough.

RENE MAGTUBO LABOR PARTY CHAIR "Because our labor laws are very loose and easy to circumvent, employers will still be able to hire contractual workers. So we need a policy where direct hiring is the norm and third party hiring is the exception."

But employers argue it is perfectly legal to use staffing agencies for their manpower. They also say a policy of direct hiring could result in job cuts.

SERGIO ORTIZ-LUIS JR EMPLOYERS CONFEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES "In the Christmas season, let's say one mall uses 10,000 people. During ordinary months of the year, maybe about 7,000. But if you force them to hire the 10,000 and make them permanent, what will they do? They will just maintain 7,000 and make them do overtime or do extra work."

While leaving the amendment of labor laws up to Congress, the government has shown some political will. The labor department has ordered Jollibee, one of Asia's largest fast food chains, to hire its employees permanently and directly. Meanwhile, these workers are hoping the government itself would soon end its own practice of temp hiring. Barnaby Lo, CGTN, Manila.