The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is the primary

government agency mandated to promote gainful employment

opportunities, develop human resources, protect workers and promote
their welfare, and maintain industrial peace.
Originally, DOLE started as a small bureau in 1908. It became a
department on December 8, 1933 with the passage of Act 4121.
DOLE stands as the national government agency mandated to formulate
policies, implement programs and services, and serve as the policy-
coordinating arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and
employment. The organization and functions of DOLE are in accordance
with the provisions of Executive Order No. 126, as amended, the Labor
Code of the Philippines, and other relevant and pertinent legislations.
DOLE has exclusive authority in the administration and enforcement of
labor and employment laws and such other laws as specifically assigned
to it or to the Secretary of Labor and Employment.

Functions and Responsibilities / Key Projects

and Activities
Vision, Mandate and Strategies
Consistent with the national development plan, its vision is the
attainment of full, decent and productive employment for every Filipino
worker. It is mandated to promote gainful employment opportunities,
develop human resources, protect workers and promote their welfare
and maintain industrial peace. To contribute to the attainment of the
national employment goals, it adopts the following strategies:
Support for Employment Generation
While DOLE recognizes that the private sector is the primary engine of
economic growth and that other government agencies that promote
development through investments and infrastructure are the more
significant employment generators, DOLE still contributes in this area by
providing bridging or transition opportunities, especially to the vulnerable
sectors, to help them graduate into more productive, remunerative,
secured or more formal employment or livelihood.
Major Programs:

1. Research and Policy Advocacy for Employment Generation

2. Capacity Building for Specific Sectors
3. Promotion of Rural and Emergency Employment
The agencies that contribute to this strategy are the:

 Institute for Labor Studies (ILS),

 Bureau of Local Employment (BLE),
 Bureau of Rural Workers (BRW), and
 Workers Amelioration and Welfare Divisions (WAWD) of our regional
offices
Key Projects/Activities:

 Employment Policy Review, Development and Advocacy (ILS,

Bureau)
 Employment Planning (BLE, ROs)
 Kasanayan at Hanapbuhay (KasH) (BLE, TESDA, ROs)
 Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) (BLE, ROs)
 Work Appreciation Program (BLE, ROs)
 Tulong Alalay sa Taong May Kapansanan (BLE, ROs)
 Emergency Employment for OSY/OWY in Metro Manila (BLE, NCR)
 Poverty-Free Zones (Aksyon ng Sambayanan Laban sa Kahirapan)
(BRW, ROs)
 Promotion of Rural Employment Through Self-Employment and
Entrepreneurship Development (PRESEED) (BRW, ROs)
 Self-Reliant Organizations for CARP (BRW, ROs)
 Prevention of Job Loss and Assistance to Displaced Workers (ROs)
 QRT
Employment Facilitation
Under this strategy, DOLE provides employment facilitation and
regulation services for local and overseas employment. They also
harness modern technology to make more efficient the matching of job
vacancies to skills.
Major Programs:

1. Local Employment Facilitation Program

2. Overseas Employment Facilitation Program
The operating agencies of this strategy are the:

 Bureau of Local Employment (BLE),

 Employment Promotion Divisions (EPD) of the DOLE’s Regional
Offices, and
 Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
Key Projects/Activities:

 Public Employment Service Office (PESO) (BLE, ROs, LGUs, SUCs)

 Labor Market Information System (LMIS)-Phil-JOBNET (BLE, ROs,
PESOs)
 Overseas Employment (POEA)
Employment Preservation
DOLE supports the promotion of industrial peace through education,
expeditious and fair resolution of labor disputes, enhancement of labor-
management cooperation and promotion of tripartism in policy and
decision making in order to preserve jobs and enhance the quality of
employment in the country.
Major Programs:

1. Dispute Prevention and Settlement Program

2. Workers Organization, Tripartism and Empowerment Program
The operating agencies for this strategy are the:

 Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR),

 Tripartite Industrial Peace Council Secretariat,
 Labor Relations Divisions (LRD) and the Med-Arbitration Units of the
Regional Offices,
 Legal Service (LS),
 National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), and
 National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and their regional
units.
Key Projects/Activities:

 Administrative Intervention for Dispute Avoidance (OSEC)

 Labor Dispute Settlement and Prevention
 Conciliation and Mediation (NCMB)
 Voluntary Arbitration (NCMB)
 Compulsory Arbitration (NLRC)
 Promotion of Labor and Management Cooperation and Grievance
Machinery (NCMB)
 Labor Education (BLR, ROs)
 Tripartite Industrial Peace Council
 Promotion of Unionism and Collective Bargaining (BLR, ROs)
 Workers Organization and Development Program (WODP) (BLR,
ROs)