THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada 
Explanatory Note 
Despite the provision of Section 3 of Article 13 of the Constitution which provides 
that "The State shall afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and 
unorganized, and promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for 
all", still, the Philippines suffers from unemployment. 
The unemployment issue does not only affect Filipino Workers in the Philippines 
but also those qualified Overseas Filipino Workers from unscrupulous recruiters. A 
sizeable number of workers fail in their respective endeavor because the government 
lacks the responsibility of preparing comprehensive contingency measures to ensure 
the worker's protection and to extend critical assistance adversely affected by the 
economic crisis. 
This bill seeks to create a National Employment Assistance Center of the 
Philippines in order to assist and help the country fight the soaring unemployment 
problem that threatens not only the economy but also the political stability of the 
. Philippines. 
Hence, the enactment of this bill is recommended. 
< J Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
"''i. >, 
". " 
< L 
3 : 'Y :\ 1 
853 
S.B. No. 
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE CENTER OF THE 
PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress Assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Employment 
Assistance Center of the Philippines Act of 2004". 
SECTION 2.Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to Afford full 
protection to labor and promote full employment and equality of employment 
opportunities for all. It is therefore the responsibility of the government to address the 
various legitimate concerns of the Filipino workers: by preparing comprehensive 
contingency measures to ensure the worker's protection and to extend critical 
assistance to those adversely affected by the economic crisis. 
SECTION 3. Creation. - There is here by created the National Employment 
Assistance Center (NEAC) of the Philippines, hereinafter referred to as the center, 
which shall be under the supervision and control of the Department of Labor and 
Employment. 
SECTION 4. Purpose. - The Center shall provide both employees and 
employers with the basic information on local manpower demand, competency, 
assessment and orientation, manpower pooling, and referral for retraining. The Center 
shall likewise provide a one-stop action center which shall facilitate the processing and 
documentation of all long-term employment. It shall encourage consolidation of the 


effort of various public and private entitles involved in the labor sector of similar and 
other related programs. 
SECTION 5. Funcfions. - The Center shall perform the following functions: 
a.) To Provide information to prospective employers, public or private, 
local and foreign, on the different kind of skills/expertise available for 
utilization; 
b.) To establish an updated data bank of all industries and business 
requiring manpower; 
c.) To establish an updated data bank of all skilled but unemployment 
Filipino workers, which includes basic information such as name, 
address, age, telephone number, educational and professional 
background, and special skills; 
d.) To organize and maintain centralized one-stop shop services or 
assistance center that shall expedite the processing of all 
requirements necessary in employment; 
e.) To formulate and coordinate the conduct of relevant research projects 
to help attain the Center’s goals; 
f.) To formulate and develop employment programs designed to benefit 
the more disadvantaged groups; 
9.) To develop a responsive vocational guidance and testing system in aid 
h.) To. receive donations, contributions, gifts, grants from any source, 
public or private, whether from domestic or international sources, 
proceeds of which shall not be used for any other purpose; 
i.) To enter into all kinds of arrangements or joint ventures with other 
government and/or private entitles that will help promote its aims and 
purposes; and 
j.) To exercise such other functions as may be assigned by the Secretary 
of Labor and employment. 
of proper human resources allocation; 
SECTION 6. Sfrucfural Organization. - The Center shall have a Board of 
Governors under which shall be the offices of the Director-General and the Deputy 
Director-General. Under the Office of the Director-General shall be two (2) departments 
which shall be headed by their respective directors, namely: 
I 
.) Domestic Employment, to handle all local employment matters; and 
2.) Overseas Employment, to handle all overseas employment matters. 


Under each department shall be three (3) divisions which shall be headed 
by their division chiefs, namely on; 
I 
.) Technical Research Division, to handle the registration for workers and 
industries/businesses; 
2.) Testing and Skills Upgrading Division, to handle all matters pertaining 
to the development of a responsive guidance, testing and training 
system; and 
3.) Referral and Placement Division, to handle all matters pertaining to the 
working permits, referral to and placement in industries /businesses of 
the employees. 
A central documentation and information service headed by a Director, to 
handle all documentation, information and related matters, including public 
relations, shall be corlstituted to private staff support to the Director General. 
SECTION 7. Board of Governors; Composition, Term and Compensation. - 
The Center shall be governed and its activities and properties shall be managed by a 
Board of Governors which shall be under the supervision and control of the Office of the 
President, to be chaired by the Secretary of Labor and employment, and shall be 
composed of ten (IO) members, five (5) of whom shall come from the government 
sector and five (5) of whom shall come from the private sector, all of whom shall be 
appointed by the President: Provided that a representative from the private sector shall 
be appointed as Vice-chairman: Provided, further, That all board members shall hav 
broad experience in human resources, labor and industrial relations. 
The term of office Board members from the government sector shall be for the 
duration of their public office or three (3) years, whichever comes earlier, while the term 
of office of the private sector Board members shall be three (3) years each until their 
successors shall have been appointed and qualified: Provided, That they shall be 
eligible for reappointment after the expiration of their respective terms: 
Provided, 
furfher, That any private sector Board member appointed by the President to fill a 
vacancy in the Board of Governors occurring prior to the expifation of the term for which 
his predecessor was appointed shall serve only for the unexpired portion of his 
predecessor. 
The Board members shall meet regularly at least once a month as often as the 
exigencies of the service demand. The presence of at least six (6) members shall 
constitute a quorum, and the vote of a majority of the members present shall be 
necessary for the adoption of any resolution, rule or decision. 
The Board members shall receive for every meeting attended a per diem to be 
fixed by the President of the Philippines. 


SECTION 8. Board of Governors. - The Board of Governors shall have the 
following powers and functions: 
a.) To formulate policies, guidelines and programs to effectively implement 
b.) To approve the annual and supplemental budgets for the Center; 
c.) To promulgate rules as may be necessary for the effective exercise of 
d.) To authorize any contract or agreement as may be necessary for the 
e.) To determine and approve the appointment of other officers of the 
Center, with their corresponding qualifications, duties and emoluments; 
and 
the purposes of the Center; 
the powers and functions of the Center; 
proper, efficient and stable administration of the Center; 
f.) To prepare and submit periodic and/or special reports of the President. 
SECTION 9. Office of the Director-General. - The chief operating officer and 
principal representative of the Center shall be the Director-General assisted by a 
Deputy Director-General, working full time, both to be appointed by the President: 
SECTION I O .  Removal or Suspension for Cause. - An officer of the Center 
may be suspended or removed by the President for mismanagement, grave abuse of 
discretion, infidelity in the conduct of fiduciary relations, gross negligence in the 
performance of duties, dishonesty, corruption, or any act involving moral turpitude. 
SECTION 1 I. Appointments, Promotion, Terms and Conditions of 
Employment - The officers and employees of the Center shall be covered by the Civil 
Service Law, as well as the Rules of the Office of Compensation and Position 
Classification. 
SECTION 12. Locafion. - The Center’s head office shall be located in a 
Provided, That the 
convenient and accessible site in the National Capital Region: 
regional offices of the Center may be integrated with the regional offices of the 
Department of Labor and Employment whenever feasible and shall obtain all its service 
functions under one roof, including the head office. 
SECTION 13. Coordinafion wjfh Privafe Agencies. - Private agencies 
concerned shall coordinate with the Center and shall, when requested by the Center, 
provide information and such other assistance for referral and placement purposes. For 
this purpose, all provide agencies concerned shall henceforth detail their appropriate 


representatives to the Center: Provided, That such private agencies shall provide for 
such detailed personnel’s salaries and/or other emoluments. 
Moreover, the Department of Foreign Affairs, through its commercial attaches 
worldwide, shall extend assistance to the Center by disseminating data properly 
released by the Center to the different countries concerned. The commercial attaches 
shall also furnish the Center with current and relevant data from other countries for 
circulation in the Philippines. 
SECTION 14. Appropriation. - An amount not exceeding Fifteen Million Pesos 
(P15,000,000.00) shall be charge to the current appropriations of the Department of 
Labor and Employment for the initial implementation of this Act. Thereafter, the amount 
as may be necessary for the continued operation of the Center shall be included in the 
Annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 15. Rules and Regulafions. - The Department of Labor and 
Employment shall promulgate all rules and regulations as may necessary for the proper 
and effective implementatiorr of this Act. 
SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, decrees, rules and 
regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Act, are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the 
Philippines. 
Approved,