Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______
Introduced by Representative Hon. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia
AN ACT
FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8759, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICE ACT OF 1999, AS AMENDED,
TO INCLUDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE SCOPE OF THE LAW, TO RENAME
THE PRESENT PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICE (PESO) INTO THE
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFFICE (PEESO), AND TO
ESTABLISH THE BARANGAY EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
OFFICES (BEESO) NATIONWIDE, DEFINING ITS ROLE WITHIN THE
EXISTING NETWORK, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
It is the policy of the State to provide adequate and quality employment and to
promote equal employment opportunities for all Filipinos. The 1987 Constitution likewise
recognizes the important role of entrepreneurs in achieving economic growth.
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that about 2.87 million Filipinos were
unemployed in March 2022. Meanwhile, the underemployment rate increased from 14% in
February to 15.8% in March 2022.
The Department of Trade and Industry reported that entrepreneurs have managed to
generate 62.4% of the country’s employment or over five (5) million jobs.
Inarguably, the entrepreneurs play a key role in creating job opportunities and consequently
in stimulating the economic growth of the country.
August 9, 2022
12:50 pm
3387


In this regard, this bill seeks to promote entrepreneurship by including it in the
coverage of the current Public Employment Service Office (PESO) law. Under the proposed
measure, the PESO shall be renamed to Public Employment and Entrepreneurship Office
(PEESO), and a Barangay Employment and Entrepreneurship Service Office (BEESO) shall
be created, which shall provide a more efficient system that would facilitate and regulate the
labor market by bridging the gap between the job seekers and employers, and bring the
services closer in the barangay level.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
HON. CHRISTOPHER “TOFF” P. DE VENECIA
Fourth District, Pangasinan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______
Introduced by Representative Hon. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia
AN ACT
FURTHER AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8759, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICE ACT OF 1999, AS AMENDED,
TO INCLUDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE SCOPE OF THE LAW, TO RENAME
THE PRESENT PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICE (PESO) INTO THE
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFFICE (PEESO), AND TO
ESTABLISH THE BARANGAY EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
OFFICES (BEESO) NATIONWIDE, DEFINING ITS ROLE WITHIN THE
EXISTING NETWORK, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 8759, otherwise known as the ‘Public
Employment Service Office Act of 1999”, as amended by Republic Act No. 10691, is hereby
further amended to read as follows:
“SEC.
3.
Establishment
of
the
Public
Employment
AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Service
Office
AND
THE
BARANGAY
EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFFICE. – To carry out
the above declared policy, there shall be established in all provinces, cities,
and municipalities a Public Employment AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Service Office, hereinafter referred to as ‘PEESO’.
TO SUPPORT THE PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL PEESO, A
BARANGAY EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFFICE,
3387


HEREIN REFERRED TO AS ‘BEESO’, SHALL BE ESTABLISHED IN
ALL BARANGAYS NATIONWIDE. THE BEESO SHALL EXTEND
THE REACH OF THE MUNICIPAL PEESO TO THE RURAL AREAS
WHERE
THE
BULK
OF
EMPLOYMENT
MODE
IS
NOT
WAGE-BASED
BUT
BASED
ON
SELF-EMPLOYMENT
AND
AVAILMENT OF LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES. THE CREATION
OF THE BEESO SEEKS TO HELP IMPROVE THE ACCESS OF THE
RURAL
WORKFORCE
TO
EMPLOYMENT
AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SERVICES.
THE PEESO AND THE BEESO shall be operated and maintained
by local government units (LGUs). The PEESOs AND THE BEESOs shall
be linked to 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
public
employment
AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP service network.
The PEESO OR BEESO, AS THE CASE MAY BE, shall be under
the office of the governor, city municipal mayor, and barangay chairman. The
PEESO OR BEESO, AS THE CASE MAY BE, shall be initially organized
by and composed of a PEESO OR BEESO manager and may be assisted by a
labor and employment officer (LEO) as may be determined by the LGU.
Upon the request of accredited Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) or Educational Institutions (Els), the DOLE may enter into a
Memorandum of Agreement for the NGO and EI to establish, operate and
maintain a PEESO AND BEESO and a job placement office, respectively.
To
harmonize
the
provision
of
employment
AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP services in a given territorial jurisdiction, the
PEESO AND BEESO at the NGOs and the job placement office in Els shall
coordinate their activities with the appropriate LGU PEESO OR BEESO, AS
THE CASE MAYBE.”
SEC. 2. Section 4 of RA 8759, as amended by RA 10691, is hereby amended
to read as follows:


“SEC. 4. Objectives of the PEESO AND BEESO. - In general, the
PEESO AND BEESO shall ensure the prompt, timely, and efficient delivery of
employment
AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL
services
and
provision
of
information on the other DOLE programs.
Specifically, the PEESO/BEESO shall:
(a) Provide a venue where people could explore simultaneously various
wage
employment
AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL
option
and
[actually] seek the assistance they prefer;
(b) Serve as referral and information center for the various services and
programs of DOLE and other government agencies present in the area;
(c)
Provide
clients
with
adequate
information
on
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, employment, and labor market situation in
the area;
(d) Network with other PEESOs AND BEESOs within the region on
employment for job exchange purposes[.] AND WITH OTHER
GOVERNMENT, NON-GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AS WELL
AS WITH THE PRIVATE AND BUSINESS SECTORS FOR
INFORMATION
EXCHANGE
AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL
OPPORTUNITIES.”
SEC. 3. Section 5 of RA 8759, as amended by RA 10691, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 5. Functions of the PEESO AND BEESO. The PEESO and
BEESO shall have the following functions:
(a) Encourage employers to REGULARLY submit to the PEESO AND
BEESO [on a regular basis] a list of job vacancies in their respective
establishments in order to facilitate the exchange of labor market
information
between
job
seekers
and
employers
by
providing
employment information services to job seekers, both for local and
overseas employment, and recruitment assistance to employers;
(b) Develop and administer testing and evaluation instruments for effective
job selection, training, and counselling;


(c)
SERVE
AS
VENUE
FOR
CONVERGENCE
BY
THE
APPROPRIATE AGENCIES TO [P]provide persons with [qualities]
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ENHANCEMENT INTERVENTIONS,
access to the various livelihood and self-employment and information
programs
offered
by
both
government
and
non-governmental
organizations at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels by
undertaking referrals for such program;
(d) Undertake employability enhancement training[s] or seminars for job
seekers, as well as those who would like to change careers or enhance
their employability;
(e) Provide employment or occupational counseling, career guidance, mass
motivation, and values development activities;
(f) Conduct pre-employment counseling and orientation to prospective
local and, most especially, overseas workers;
(g) Provide reintegration assistance services to returning Filipino migrant
workers;
(h) Prepare and submit to the local Sanggunian an annual employment
FACILITATION plan and budget including other regular funding
sources and budgetary support of the PEESO AND THE BEESO;
[and]
(i) REFER JOB APPLICANTS WHO MAY NEED FURTHER
TRAINING
OR
RETRAINING
TO
THE
TECHNICAL
EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
(TESDA)
COMMUNITY
TRAINING
FOR
EMPLOYMENT
COORDINATOR
(CTEC)
AND
OTHER
TRAINING
OR
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; AND,
(j) “Perform such functions as to fully carry out the objectives of this Act.”
SEC. 4. Section 6 of RA 8759, as amended by RA 10691, is hereby further amended
to read as follows:
“SEC. 6. Other Services of the PEESO AND BEESO. – In addition to
the functions enumerated in the preceding section, THE PROVINCIAL
PEESO
SHALL
CONDUCT
PERIODIC
JOB
CLEARANCE


MEETINGS WITH ALL THE MUNICIPAL AND CITY PEESOS
WITHIN ITS AREA OF JURISDICTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF
ELIMINATING
DUPLICATIONS
IN
ACCOMPLISHMENT
REPORTING TO THE DOLE AND THE LGUS.
THE MUNICIPAL
PEESO SHALL LIKEWISE EXERCISE THE ABOVE FUNCTION IN
RELATION TO THE BEESOS.
MOREOVER, every PEESO AND
BEESO shall undertake holistic strategies, programs, and activities to
transform the PEESO AND BEESO into a modern public employment AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
service
intermediary
that
provides
multidimensional employment and entrepreneurship facilitation services.”
SEC. 5. Section 7 of RA 8759, as amended by RA 10691, is hereby further amended
to read as follows:
“SEC. 7. Role of the DOLE and the LGUs. – The LGUs, in
coordination with the DOLE, shall establish the PEESO AND BEESO.
It shall be the responsibility of the DOLE to:
a) Provide technical supervision, coordination, and capacity building to
the PEESO AND BEESO;
b) Establish and maintain AN UPDATED computerized human resource
and job registries to facilitate the provision and packaging of
employment assistance to PEESO AND BEESO clients and the
setting-up
of
intra-
and
inter[regional]GEOGRAPHICAL
job
clearance systems as part of the overall employment network;
c) Provide technical assistance and allied support services to the PEESO
AND BEESO including, but not limited to, the training of PEESO
AND BEESO personnel in the various aspects of employment AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP facilitation functions;
d) Set standards for the establishment and operation of the PEESO AND
BEESO office and qualification standards for the PEESO AND
BEESO personnel;
e) Extend
other
packages
of
employment
AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP services to the LGU, NGO or EI concerned,
including the conduct of job fairs, career development seminars,


ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTERVENTIONS, and other activities;
and
f)
Monitor, assess, and evaluate the performance of the PEESO AND
BEESO, including the job placement offices in Els.
For their part, persons who are seeking employment, particularly the
unemployed, shall register at the PEESO/BEESO for employment AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP facilitation assistance. The establishments, on the
other hand, shall submit their job vacancies as well as applicants hired to the
PEESO AND BEESO to ensure the availability of accurate information on
supply and demand situation for various OCCUPATIONS AS WELL as
skills in the labor market.
The LGU shall establish a monitoring system wherein establishments
operating in the locality shall report the following relevant labor market
information to the concerned office of the LGU:
a) Present number and nature of jobs[;], SELF-EMPLOYMENT,
LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES; and,
b) Projection of jobs that the establishment will provide or offer in the
next five (5) years;
PROVIDED THAT, [T]the information shall be submitted to the PEESO
AND BEESO for job matching and to Els for career guidance of the students.
PROVIDED FURTHER THAT, [I]it shall be the responsibility of the
concerned LGU to:
(i) Operate and maintain the PEESO AND BEESO;
(ii) Ensure compliance with the operational standards set by the DOLE;
(iii) Extend such assistance and services as may be necessary in the
promotion of employment AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP within the
area of jurisdiction; and,
(iv) Submit to the DOLE periodic performance and accomplishment
reports.”


SEC. 6. Section 8 of RA 8759, as amended by RA 10691, is hereby amended to read
as follows:
SEC. 8. Administration of the PEESO AND BEESO Program. - The
DOLE shall be primarily responsible for the administration of the PEESO
AND BEESO Program through its Bureau of Local Employment, 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 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, AND IN
CONSULTATION
WITH
THE
DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND
INDUSTRY, DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AND
SUCH
OTHER
GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES
AND
INSTRUMENTALITIES
WHICH
OFFER
PROGRAMS
ON
EMPLOYMENT, LIVELIHOOD, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, 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] ACT.”
SEC. 7. Section 9 of RA 8759, as amended by RA 10691, is hereby further amended
to read as follows:
“SEC. 9. Funding. – The funding for the operation and maintenance of
the PEESO AND BEESO shall be provided by the LGU from its internal
revenue allotment and other internally generated income of the LGU
concerned. Likewise, the operation and maintenance of the NGO PEESO
AND BEESO and job placement offices of Els shall be charged against their
internally generated income.
Funds
for
the
provision
of
technical
assistance,
training,
and
supervision of the PESO shall be included in the budget of the DOLE in the
annual General Appropriations Act.


The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this Act shall be
included by the Department of Budget and Management in the annual General
Appropriations Act.”
SEC. 8.  Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Secretary of Labor and
Employment shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation
of this Act within ninety (90) days after its effectivity.
SEC. 9.  Separability Clause. – If for any reason, any section or provision of this Act
or any part thereof, or the application of such section, provision or portion is declared invalid
or unconstitutional, the remainder thereof shall not be affected by such declaration.
SEC. 10.  Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations,
rules and regulations or any part thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act, are hereby deemed repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from the date
of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.
Approved,