President Rodrigo Duterte has asked more time before he issues an executive order to end contractualization, or endo, meaning end of contract.

Duterte met on Thursday in Malacanang various government and non-government stakeholders from the labor sector.

According to Malacanang photo release, among the issues discussed include the contractualization, wage setting, government cash subsidy, the workers' representation in tripartite bodies, recruitment and facilitation fees and freedom of association in economic zones.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he was informed Duterte sought for more time to study further a call by the labor groups for his issuance of an EO on endo.

"(I) was made to understand that he asked for more time to issue the Executive Order on endo. And that’s all that I was informed by head of protocol," he said.

"He is studying the matter more thoroughly," he added.

In a statement, labor groups have expressed dismay over Duterte's failure to sign the draft EO on endo.

The groups, such as Nagkaisa, a labor coalition, and Kilusang Mayo Uno, have said Duterte asked until March 15 to study the EO.

"This is amidst the fact that our draft EO has been submitted to Malaca?ang, upon his request, since May of 2017 after the Labor Day dialogue in Davao. Also, there has already been prior agreements with Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III that the EO would be signed on yesterday’s Malaca?ang dialogue," the joint statement said. Celerina Monte/DMS