NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
)
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
s. No. _4^
BILLS & MDEX
Introduced by SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL MANPOWER DATA AND PLACEMENT CENTER, 
AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Republic Act No. 8759, otherwise known as the "Public Employment Service Office 
Act of 1999" provides that it shall be the responsibility of the Department of Labor and 
Employment (DOLE) to "establish and maintain a computerized national manpower registry 
of skills and employment and business opportunities to facilitate the provision and 
packaging of employment assistance to PESO clients and the setting-up of intra- and inter­
regional job clearance systems as part of the overall employment network." Republic Act 
No. 10691 amended the phraseology of this provision but maintained its essence. RA 
10691 further states tnat, "For their part, persons who are seeking employment, 
particularly the unemployed, shall register at the PESO for employment facilitation 
assistance. The establishments, on the other hand, shall submit their job vacancies as well 
as applicants hired to the PESO to ensure the availability of accurate Information on supply 
and demand for skills in the labor market.
To fulfill this mandate, DOLE launched the National Skills Registration Program 
(NSRP) in 2008. As a program, NSRP is operationalized by the PESO Employment 
Information System (PEIS), which records the profile of jobseekers, including their skills 
and competencies, client transactions, and job vacancies. While the NSRP is managed 
centrally by DOLE, through the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), registration of


establishments and jobseekers through the PEIS is carried out by PESOs and DOLE offices 
at the local level.
While the DOLE already instituted a program to implement the provisions of the 
PESO law, the creation of a specific organization that will focus on this mandate will allow a 
more cohesive action that will enable It to serve a wider range of clientele.
This bill seeks to create the National Manpower Data and Placement Center under 
DOLE which shall be In charge of gathering and collating all available data and statistics on 
the present labor force, both employed and unemployed, and update the same every 
semester. The Center will serve the government and the private sector In terms of specific 
labor supply by creating national labor pool which may be tapped any time by local 
companies and the government. As such, it serves as the counterpart of the Philippine 
Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
The Center shall provide an efficient Inventory and classification of our labor and 
skills supply for maximum use of manpower. More than this, the Center shall provide the 
pertinent data needed in studies and formulation of strategies to curtail underemployment 
and unemployment.
This is envisioned to be an effective response to the challenges discussed by the 
Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its article, "Philippines' COVID-19 Employment 
Challenge: Labor Market Programs to the Rescue" wherein it stated that "as the Philippines 
rebounds from the pandemic, strengthening labor market programs will be critical to help 
workers and enterprises make the transition".
Similarly, a study conducted by the Institute for Labor Studies of the DOLE entitled, 
"Facilitating Work In the New Normal: An Assessment of Local Public Employment 
Facilitation Services and Mechanisms In the Philippines" reveals that because of the 
pandemic, there is an Increase of service demand on referral, placement and employment 
facilitation services particularly offered by PESOs which can be attributed to the growing 
numbers of unemployed persons who are in pursuit of new employment.


In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
:t_L
INGGQY EJERCITO ESTRADA


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
)
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 
4P
BILLS & INDEX
Introduced by SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL MANPOWER DATA AND PLACEMENT CENTER, 
AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled-.
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Section 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the welfare 
of all workers in terms of harnessing their talents and skills to the fullest. The government 
shall endeavor to provide an efficient system in tapping such skills and talents.
Sec. 2. Establishment of the National Manpower Data and Placement Center. - There 
is hereby established a National Manpower Data and Placement Center, hereinafter referred 
to as the Center, under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) which shall 
create the manpower and skills data bank for local employment and act as the placement 
agency for the same. The Center shall serve as counterpart of the Philippine Overseas 
Employment Administration (POEA) for local employment.
Sec. 3. Creation and Updating of the Manpower Database. - The Center shall be the 
primary office In charge of implementing the mandate of the DOLE under Republic Act No. 
8759, otherwise known as the "Public Employment Service Office Act of 1999" to establish 
and maintain a computerized and interoperable national manpower registry of skills and 
employment as well as business opportunities. It is tasked to gather and collate all 
available data and statistics on the present labor force, both employed and unemployed, 
and provide an efficient inventory and classification of our labor and skills supply for 
maximum use of manpower. It shall also provide the pertinent data needed in studies and 
formulation of strategies to curtail underemployment and unemployment.


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The Center shall update the manpower database every semester, or as often as 
necessary.
Sec. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DOLE shall promulgate the 
necessary rules and regulations of this Act.
Sec. 5. Appropriations. - The amount needed to initially implement the provisions of 
this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the current year of the DOLE. 
Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its continued Implementation shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise affected 
shall remain valid and subsisting.
Sec. 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
accordingly.
Sec. 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,