NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE
s. No. 50
iD TIMS:
BILLS & INDEX
Introduced by SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE CENTER OF 
THE PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Section 3 of Article XIII of the Constitution provides that, "The State shall 
afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and 
promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all1. Despite 
this constitutional mandate, the Philippines still suffers from massive unemployment.
The unemployment issue does not only affect Filipino workers in the 
Philippines but also Overseas Filipino Workers victimized by unscrupulous recruiters. 
A sizeable number of workers fail in their respective endeavor because the 
government failed to provide comprehensive contingency measures to ensure the 
workers' protection and assistance.
This bill seeks to create a National Employment Assistance Center of the 
Philippines in order to assist and help the country fight the soaring unemployment 
problem that threatens not only the economy but also the political stability of the 
Philippines. To sustain a strengthened partnership with the other stakeholders, the 
Center will build coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs to reach their 
constituents in various parts of the world, as well as with concerned private agencies


which will provide information and other assistance for referral and placement 
purposes.
In view of the foregoing, the enactment of this bill is recommended.
31NGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
s. No. 50
wMc.yv* y , TTi.r;zr m
TIME; - 
CoJ
BILLS & INDEX
Introduced by SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE CENTER OF 
THE PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress asse.mbied:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Employment 
Assistance Center of the Philippines Act of2022"
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to afford full 
protection to labor and promote full employment and equality of employment 
opportunities for all. It is therefore the responsibility of the government to address 
the various legitimate concerns of the Filipino workers by preparing comprehensive 
contingency measures to ensure the workers' protection and to extend critical 
assistance to those adversely affected by the economic crisis.
Sec. 3. Creation. - There is hereby created the National Employment 
Assistance Center (NEAC) of the Philippines, hereinafter referred to as the Center, 
which shall be under the supervision and control of the Department of Labor and 
Employment.
Sec. 4. Purpose. - The Center shall provide both employees and employers 
with the basic information on local manpower demand, competency, assessment and 
orientation, manpower pooling, and referral for retraining. The Center shall likewise 
provide a one-stop action center which shall facilitate the processing and 
documentation of all long-term employment. It shall encourage consolidation of the


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effort of various public and private entities involved In the labor sector of similar and 
other related programs.
Sec. 5. Functions. -The Center shall perform the following functions:
a) 
to provide information to prospective employers, public or private, local and 
foreign, on the different kind of skills and expertise available for utilization;
b) 
to establish an updated data bank of all industries and businesses requiring 
manpower;
c) 
to establish an updated data bank of all skilled but unemployed Filipino 
workers, which includes basic Information such as name, address, date of 
birth, telephone number, educational and professional background as special 
skills;
d) 
to organize and maintain centralized one-stop shop services or assistance 
center that shall expedite the processing of all requirements necessary in 
employment;
e) 
to formulate and coordinate the conduct of relevant research projects to help 
attain the Center's goals;
f) 
to formulate and develop employment programs designed to benefit the more 
disadvantaged groups;
g) 
to develop a responsive vocational guidance and testing system in aid of 
proper human resources allocation;
h) 
to receive donations, contribution, gifts, grants from any source, public or 
private, whether from domestic or International sources, proceeds of which 
shall not be used for any other purpose;
i) 
to enter into all kinds of arrangements or joint ventures with other 
government and/or private entities that will help promote its aims and 
purposes; and
j) 
to exercise such other functions as may be assigned by the Secretary of Labor 
and Employment.
Sec. 6. Structural Organization. - The Center shall have a Board of Governors 
under which shall be the offices of Director-General and the Deputy Director- 
General. Under the Office of the Director-General shall be two (2) departments 
which shall be headed by their respective directors, namely:


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1. ) Domestic Employment, to handle all local employment matters; and
2. ) Overseas Employment, to handle all overseas employment matters.
Under each department shall be three (3) divisions which shall be headed by
their division chiefs, namely on:
1. ) Techiiical Research Division, to handle the registration for workers and 
industries / businesses;
2. ) Testing and Skills Upgrading Division, to handle all matters pertaining to 
the development of a responsive guidance, testing and training system; and
3. ) Referral and Placement Division, to handle all matters pertaining to the 
working permits, referral to and placement in industries and businesses of the 
employees by their division chiefs, namely on:
A central documentation and information service headed by a Director, to 
handle all documentation, information and related matters, including public relations, 
shall be constituted to private staff support to the Director-General.
Sec. 7. Board of Governors; Composition, Term and Compensation. -The 
Center shall be governed and its activities and properties shall be managed by a 
Board of Governors which shall be under the supervision and control of the Office of 
the President, to be chaired by the Secretary of Labor and Employment, and shall be 
composed of ten (10) members five (5) of whom shall come from the government 
sector and five (5) of whom shall come from the private sector, all of whom shall be 
appointed by the President: Provided, That a representative from the private sector 
shall be appointed as Vice-chairman; Provided further, That all board members shall 
have broad experience in human resources, labor and industrial relations.
The term of office of Board members from the government sector shall be for 
the duration of their public office or three (3) years, whichever comes earlier, while 
the term of office of the private sector Board members shall be three (3) years each 
until their successors shall have been appointed and qualified; Provided, That they 
shall be eligible for reappointment after the expiration of their respective terms; 
Provided, further. That any private sector Board member appointed by the President 
to fill a vacancy in the Board of Governors occurring prior to the expiration of the 
term for which his predecessor was appointed shall serve only for the unexpired 
portion of his predecessor.


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The Board members shall meet regularly at least once a month or as often as
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the exigencies of the service demand. The presence of at least six (6) members shall
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constitute a quorum, and the vote of a majority of the members present shall be
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necessary for the adoption of any resolution, rule or decision.
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Ttie Board members shall receive for every meeting attended a per diem to
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be fixed by the President of the Philippines.
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Sec. 8. Board of Governors. - The Board of Governors shall have the following
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powers and function:
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a) 
to formulate policies, guidelines and programs to effectively Implement
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the purposes of the Center;
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b) 
to approve the annual and supplemental budgets for the Center;
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c) 
to promulgate rules as may be necessary for the effective
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exercise of the powers and functions of the Center;
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d) 
to authorize any contract or agreement as may be necessary for the
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proper, efficient and stable administration of the Center;
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e) 
to determine and approve the appointment of other officers of the
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Center, with their corresponding qualifications, duties and emoluments;
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and,
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f) 
to prepare and submit periodic and/or special reports for the President.
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Sec. 9. Office of the Director-Generai. - The chief operation officer and
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principal representative of the Center shall be the Director-General assisted by a
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Deputy Director-General, working full time, both to be appointed by the President.
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Sec. 10. Removai or Suspension for Cause. - An officer of the Center may be
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suspended or removed by the President for mismanagement, grave abuse of
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discretion, infidelity in the conduct c?/" fiduciary relations, gross negligence in the
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performance of duties, dishonesty, corruption, or any act involving moral turpitude.
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Sec. 11. Appointments, Promotion, Terms and Conditions of Empioyment -
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The officers and employees of the Center shall be covered by the Civil Service Law,
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as well as the Rules of the Office of Compensation and Position Classification.
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Sec. 12. Location. - The Center’s head office shall be located In a convenient
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and accessible site in the National Capital Region: Provided, That the regional offices
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of the Center may be integrated with the regional offices of the Department of Labor


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and Employment whenever feasible and shall obtain all its service functions under 
one roof, including the head office.
Sec. 13. Coordination with Private Agencies. - Private agencies concerned 
shall coordinate with the Center and shall, when requested by the Center, provide 
information and such other assistance for referral and placement purposes. For this 
purpose, all private agencies concerned shall henceforth detail their appropriate 
representatives to the Center: Provided, That such private agencies shall provide for 
such detailed personnel's salaries and/or other emoluments.
Moreover, the Department of Foreign Affairs, through its commercial attaches 
worldwide, shall extend assistance to the Center by disseminating data properly 
released by the Center to the different countries concerned. The commercial 
attaches shall also furnish the Center with current and relevant data from other 
countries for circulation in the Philippines.
Sec. 14. Appropriation. - An amount not exceeding Fifteen million pesos 
(P15,000,000.00) shall be charged to the current appropriations of the Department 
of Labor and Employment for the initial implementation of this Act. Thereafter, the 
amount 3S may be necessary for the continued operation of the Center shall be 
included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 15. Ruies and Regulations. - The Department of Labor and Employment 
shall promulgate all rules and regulations as may be necessary for the proper and 
effective implementation of this Act.
Sec. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, decrees, rules and regulations, 
and other issuances or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed 
or modified accordingly.
Sec. 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the 
Philippines.
Approved,