FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2 918 
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Lasting industrial peace can only be achieved through the sincere desire and 
mutual effort of labor and management to resolve their differences. Fully cognizant 
of this, the State is constitutionally mandated to promote the principle of shared 
responsibility between workers and employers and the preferential use of voluntary 
modes in settling dispute including conciliation as enunciated under Section 3, Article 
XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. 
Accordingly, this Bill amending Article 228 of the Labor Code proposes to 
statutorily recognize the mandatory conciliation for all labor and employment 
disputes, which has been introduced through the Single Entry Approach (SENA) 
pursuant to DOLE Department Order No. 107-10. The Bill seeks to complement the 
existing labor dispute settlement mechanism by providing speedy, impartial, 
inexpensive and accessible conciliation-mediation services in the settlement of all 
labor cases, with only unresolved issues referred to either voluntary or compulsory 
arbitration. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this Bill is fervently sought. 
Senator 


; 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
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SENATE 
Senate Bill No.2 918 
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JUL 26 r' J :1 8 
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING CONCILIATION-MEDIATION AS A VOLUNTARY MODE OF 
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT FOR ALL LABOR CASES, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE ARTICLE 228 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 442, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE LABOR CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Article 228 of the labor Code, which was repealed by Section 16 of 
Batas Pambansa Bilang 130 on 21 August 1981, is hereby reinstated and amended 
to read as follows: 
"Art. 228. Mandatory Conciliation and Indorsement of Cases. 
(a) 
Except as provided in Title VII-A, Book V of this Code, as 
amended, or as may be excepted by the Secretary of labor and 
Employment, all issues arising from labor and employment shall be 
subject to mandatory conciliation-mediation. The Labor Arbiter 
and/or the appropriate Department of Labor and Employment 
Agency or Office that has jurisdiction over the dispute shall 
entertain only endorsed or referred cases by the duly authorized 
officer/personnel. 
(b) 
Any or both parties involved in the dispute may pre-terminate 
the conciliation-mediation proceedings and request referral or 
endorsement to the appropriate Department of Labor and 


• 
Employment Agency or Office which has jurisdiction over the 
dispute or if both parties so agree, refer the unresolved issues to 
voluntary arbitration. 
Sec. 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of Labor and 
Employment shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the 
provisions of this Act. 
Sec. 3. Separability Clause. - If any part, section or provision of this Act shall be 
held invalid or unconstitutional, the other proviSions shall not be affected thereby. 
Sec. 4. Repealing Clause. - Presidential Decree No. 442, otherwise known as the 
Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended, and al\ other acts, laws, presidential 
issuances, rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed, 
amended or modified accordingly. 
Sec. 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspaper of 
national circulation. 
APPROVED,