THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2128 
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MECEI\/ED w :  
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
To further facilitate the administration and enforcement 0- ,... 
e provisions of the xbor 
Code, as amended, and to reduce the inflow of cases to thei National Labor Relations 
Commission, it is proper to consolidate the jurisdiction of the Regional Office of the Department 
of Labor and Employment over all cases involving recovery of wages and other monetary claims 
and benefits by 1) removing the five thousand peso ceiling found in Article 129 of the said Code, 
and 2) amending the jurisdiction of labor arbiters provided in Article 217. 
1
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These amendments as contained in this bill will contribute to the speedy disposition of 
labor related cases. 
The urgent passage of this bill is thus recommended. L++ 
MIRJAMDE 
NSORSANT 
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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
DEFLNING THE JURISDICTION OF LABOR CASES BETWEEN THE NATIONAL LABOR 
RELATIONS COMMISSION AND THE REGIONAL OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE, ARTICLES 129 AND 
217 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE FOUR "DRED FORTY TWO (PD 442), AS 
AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LABOR CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Article 129 of the Labor Code is hereby further amended, to read as 
follows: 
Article 129. Recovery of wages, simple money claims and other benefits. 
- Upon complaint of any interested party, the regional director of the department 
of labor and employment or any of the duly authorized hearing officers of the 
department, REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF CLAIM, is empowered 
through summary proceedings and after due notice, to hear and decide any matter 
involving the recovery o f  wages and other monetary claims and benefits, 
including legal interest, owing to an employee or person employed in domestic or 
household service or household helper under this code, arising from employer- 
employee relations: Provided, that such complaint does not include a claim for 
reinstatement. 
x x x  
SECTION 2. Article 217 (a) (6) of the Labor Code is hereby further amended to read as 
~follows: 
Article 217. Jurisdiction of Labor Arbiters And The Commission. 


x x x  
(a) (6) Exceptions. - Except claims for Employees Compensation, 
Social Security, Medicare and Maternity Benefits, all1 other claims, arising 
from employer-employee relations, including those of persons in domestic 
or household service, INVOLVING ALL MONETARY CLAIMS 
ACCOMPANIED WITH A CLAIM FOR REINSTATEMENT. 
SECTION 3. Separubility Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. - All laws, acts, decrees, I executive orders, rules and 
regulations or other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby 
modified and repealed. 
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”
.
 
SECTION 5.8fectivity Clause, - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,