Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING A NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT FACILITATION SERVICE 
NETWORK FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PWDs) AND SENIOR CITIZENS 
THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOCAL CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE 
EMPLOYMENT IN EVERY PROVINCE, KEY CITY AND OTHER STRATEGIC 
AREAS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippines has long upheld a national employment policy that ensures 
equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of sex,1 race2, disability3, or age.4 
No less than the 1987 Constitution acknowledges the importance of labor as the 
primary social economic force,5 recognizing economic participation as an important 
component of promoting a just and dynamic social order that will free the people from 
poverty.6 To this end, the fundamental law mandates equal employment opportunities 
for all,7 including vulnerable sectors of society who are nonetheless competent, able, 
and willing to participate in the labor force. This is especially relevant to the plight of 
persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens. 
To support this policy, the State has enacted laws of national relevance8 and 
1 P.D. 442 (1974) or the Labor Code of the Philippines, Section 3.  
2 Id. 
3  Republic Act No. 7277 (1991) or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, as amended, Section 32. 
4 Republic Act No. 10911 (2015) or the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Section 2. 
5 1987 Constitution, Article II, Section 18. 
6 1987 Constitution, Article II, Section 9 
7 1987 Constitution, Article XIII, Section 3. 
8 See Republic Act No. 7277, as amended; Republic Act No. 10911; Republic Act No. 9994 or the 
Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. 
6:01 pm
July 23, 2025
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has acceded to international commitments9 aimed at providing an equal playing field 
for senior citizens and PWDs. Despite these efforts, unemployment and 
underemployment remain to be an overlooked, yet pervasive challenge for the sector. 
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were only 353,000 gainfully 
employed PWDs out of 1.9 million who are within working age10 in 2022. This translates 
to roughly 1 in 5 PWDs being employed. In the same year, the elderly sector faced a 
similar predicament where only 38.2% of the 2,538,000 qualified senior citizens in the 
country were employed.11 
There are already local government policies and programs aimed at promoting 
the hiring of PWDs and senior citizens. For instance, in the 2nd District of Parañaque, 
senior citizens and PWDs are given access to the Department of Labor and 
Employment’s 
program 
called 
the 
Tulong 
Pang-hanapbuhay 
sa 
Ating 
Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD, which provides temporary employment 
to workers in the informal sector. However, despite these local efforts, the sector 
continues to encounter substantial obstacles such as inadequate vocational training, 
insufficient accessible job openings, and biases related to physical abilities and age. 
Therefore, there is a pressing need to formalize these local initiatives into a national 
policy to truly attain equality. 
The proposed measure seeks to directly address these barriers to work. By 
expressly mobilizing existing Public Employment Service Offices, the State can 
provide targeted support and resources to help qualified individuals in the sector find 
and retain gainful employment. In providing an accessible and dedicated employment 
facilitation office to PWDs and senior citizens, the State not only enhances their 
economic independence, but also enables them to tap into their diverse set of skills 
and experiences that would benefit the industries they will work in. Moreover, enabling 
an open and accessible labor market can boost local businesses because of enhanced 
customer diversity. 
Finally, the proposed legislation would enable the Philippines to effectively fulfill 
its international commitments in promoting social justice for PWDs, having sponsored 
the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s Third Committee Resolution in 2014 titled 
“Realizing the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed 
development goals for persons with disabilities towards 2015 and beyond.” The bill 
also supports the Philippines’ obligations assumed under the UN Convention on the 
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Principles for Older Persons, and the 
Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. 
9 See International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 159;  Convention on the Rights of Persons 
with Disabilities; The United Nations Principles for Older Persons; Madrid International Plan of Action 
on Ageing.  
10 Guillen et al. (2022), citing January 2022 Labor Force Survey. 
11 Philippine Statistics Authority, June 2022 Labor Force Survey. 


In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
    BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
  Representative 
2nd District of Parañaque 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING A NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT FACILITATION SERVICE 
NETWORK FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PWDs) AND SENIOR CITIZENS 
THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOCAL CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE 
EMPLOYMENT IN EVERY PROVINCE, KEY CITY AND OTHER STRATEGIC 
AREAS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Inclusive Employment Act 
of 2025.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is a declared policy of the State to promote 
employment opportunities for all and strengthen the existing employment facilitation 
service machinery of the government for persons with disability and senior citizens, 
particularly at the local levels. 
SECTION 3. Establishment of the Local Center for Inclusive Employment (LCIE). 
- There is hereby established a Local Center for Inclusive Employment, hereinafter
referred to as “LCIE”, in all capital towns of provinces, key cities and other strategic
areas, which shall be a unit under the existing Public Employment Service Office
(PESO) in each local government unit.
The LCIE under each PESO shall be linked with the regional offices of the Department 
of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for coordination and technical supervision, and to 
the DOLE Central Office, to constitute the national employment service network. 
SECTION 4. Objectives of the LCIE. - The LCIE shall ensure prompt, appropriate, 
and timely employment facilitation services for PWDs and senior citizens and the 
provision of relevant information, education, and communication (IEC) materials for 
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the benefit of the PWDs and senior citizens seeking gainful employment opportunities. 
 
Specifically, the LCIE shall: 
 
a. Provide a venue where PWDs and senior citizens could find and explore various 
employment options and seek training assistance for possible employment 
ventures; 
b. Serve as referral and information center for the various services and programs 
being provided by the DOLE and other government agencies with respect to the 
welfare and employment of PWDs and senior citizens; 
c. Provide PWDs and senior citizens with sufficient information on employment 
opportunities and labor market situation in the area; and 
d. Network with other LCIEs within the province and/or region on employment 
opportunities for PWDs and senior citizens. 
 
SECTION 5. Functions of the LCIE. - The LCIE shall have the following functions: 
 
a. Establish partnerships with employers who shall regularly submit to the LCIE a 
list of job vacancies available for PWDs and senior citizens in their respective 
establishments; 
 
b. Facilitate the exchange of labor market information between the PWDs and 
senior citizens jobseekers and employers, by providing employment information 
services to the jobseekers and recruitment assistance to employers; 
 
c. Develop and administer testing and evaluation instruments for effective 
qualification, selection, training, and counseling; 
 
d. Develop training modules for PWDs and senior citizens in order to improve their 
skills and comply with the skills requirement of the employer; 
 
e. Undertake employability enhancement trainings/seminars for PWDs and senior 
citizens, as well as those PWDs and senior citizens who would like to enhance 
their employability; 
 
f. Provide occupational counseling, career guidance, motivation and values 
development activities to PWDs and senior citizen; 
 
g. Conduct pre-employment counseling and orientation to PWDs and senior 
citizens; 
 
h. Provide PWDs and senior citizens with access to the various livelihood and self-
employment programs offered by both government and non-government 
organizations (NGOs) at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels by 
undertaking referrals for such programs; 


 
i. Conduct jobs fairs, Work Appreciation Programs (WAPs), and livelihood and 
self-employment bazaars, among other employment facilitation strategies; 
 
j. Provide reintegration assistance services to PWDs and senior citizens who are 
retrenched or terminated; and 
 
k. Perform such functions and willfully carry out the objectives of this Act.  
 
SECTION 6. Role of the DOLE and LGUs. – Upon the request of the local 
government units through existing PESOs, the DOLE shall undertake the 
establishment, operation, and maintenance of the LCIE. 
 
It shall be the responsibility of the DOLE to: 
 
a. Establish and maintain a computerized PWD and senior citizens manpower 
registry of skills and employment and business opportunities to facilitate the 
provision and packaging of employment assistance to PWD and senior citizen 
clients and the setting-up of regional job clearance systems as part of the overall 
employment network; 
 
b. Designate, in consultation with the PESO or NGO concerned, a qualified project 
manager and/or key personnel who shall be responsible for the operation and 
management of the LCIE; 
 
c. Provide technical assistance and allied support services to the LCIE; 
 
d. Train LCIE personnel in the various aspects of employment facilitation 
functions; 
 
e. Extend/facilitate such other package of employment services through the 
provision of employment assistance to PWD and senior citizen clients of the 
LGU or NGO concerned, including the conduct of jobs fairs and other activities; 
and 
 
f. Undertake, monitor, assess and evaluate the LCIE program implementation. 
 
SECTION 7. Administration of the LCIE Program. - The DOLE shall be primarily 
responsible for the administration of the LCIE Program through the Bureau of Workers 
with Special Concerns, as well as its regional offices throughout the country. The 
Secretary of Labor and Employment, in coordination with the Department of the Interior 
and Local Government (DILG), National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), and 
National Commission Of Senior Citizens (NCSC), and in consultation with the 
presidents of the various local government leagues, namely the League of Provinces, 


the League of Cities, the League of Municipalities, and the League of Barangays, shall 
accordingly promulgate, within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of the Program. 
 
SECTION 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation 
of this Act shall be charged against the existing appropriations of the DOLE and its 
other operating agencies. Thereafter, the amounts needed for the full implementation 
of this Act shall be included in the budget of the DOLE in the succeeding annual 
General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected shall 
continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations and other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this 
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
 
Approved,