“That the unemployment level continues to dip starting in the first and second quarter, albe-it slowly, shows the effect of a job-friendly local economy which we in the Department contin-ues to help build and sustain,” Baldoz said.

The labor and employment chief said this good news challenges the DOLE to stay more focused to its reforms embodied in the 22-point Labor and Employment Agenda of President Benigno S. Aquino III and in the implemen-tation of the programs and strategies under the Labor and Employment Plan 2011-2016, particularly those that should bring “increased levels of, opportunities for, and access to, de-cent and productive work”.

“I believe the results of the survey already bear some of the fruits of our reform efforts

over the last one and a half-years,” she said, citing some of these reforms, such as those in employment facilitation, both local and overseas, expanded labor market information deliv-ery, bridging employment, and training and education; dispute settlement and resolution, e.g., 30-day mandatory conciliation and mediation using the Single Entry Approach (SEnA); en-hanced labor and employment education; inclusive tripartism and expanded social dialogue.

On social protection, Baldoz cited the promotion and en-hancement of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program, emer-gency employment under the Community-Based Employment Program, KAPATIRAN WISE-TAV, two-tiered wage system, and other important reforms.

She also mentioned that to make it easier for the private sec-tor to do business in the country, the DOLE has implemented policy reforms that promote and enhance transparency, integ-rity, and accountability (DOLE Code of Conduct, Integrity Development Plan, Efficiency and Integrity Board, and Quick Response Mechanism to Citizen’s Feedback).

“To achieve efficiency and to deliver better quality services, a One DOLE Operation System is also now in place,” Baldoz said, adding that the DOLE adheres strictly to the governance philosophy of the Aquino III administration of treading the “Daang Matuwid” in labor governance to achieve inclusive growth through decent and productive work.

The NSO’s Labor Force Survey results show that employment level grew by 5.6 percent in October 2011, with total employed persons increasing to 38.545 million from 36.488 million a year ago, a net addition or new employment generation of 2.057 million. The latest growth figure represents a marked improvement from last year’s growth rate of 2.8 percent, or a net addition of 1.010 million.

The results also show that the growth in employment was broad-based, occurring in all three sectors—services, which expanded by 1.235 million, or 6.6 percent year-on-year; agriculture, hunting and forestry, which expanded by 5.6 percent, or 600,000; and industry, where employment grew by 4.3 percent, or 232,000.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz welcomed the release of the results of the October 2011 Labor Force Sur-

vey of the National Statistics Office showing that the country’s unemployment level during the third quar-ter of the year has gone down to 6.4 percent compared to the 7.1 percent in the third quarter of 2010.

Baldoz welcomes news of lower unemployment

“That the unemployment level

continues to dip starting in the first

and second quarter, albeit slowly, shows the effect of a job-

friendly local economy which the DOLE

continues to help build and sustain.”

— Sec. Baldoz

DOLE Good News

� November 2011

Readers’ queries, comments, and suggestions are welcome. Mail or fax them in, or call us at telephone numbers 527-3000 loc. 620, 621, 622, 623, 625, 626, 627. Our fax number is 527-3446. You may also visit our website: www.dole.gov.ph; or e-mail us at dole_lco@yahoo.com.

The DOLE Good News is published by the Department of Labor and Employment with editorial office at the Labor Communications Office, 6th Floor, DOLE Building, Intramuros, Manila. The views expressed herein are those of the writers and/or their sources and do not necessarily reflect those of the DOLE’s or the Philippine Government’s.

EditorNICON F. FAMERONAG

Director, LCO

Associate EditorFLORO L. FERNANDO

Staff WritersJOSE C. DE LEON

MARK JAIME L. CERDENIACELESTE T. MARINGKAREN R. SERRANO

MA. VERONICA R. ALMAZORA

Editorial AssistantsGIRLIE MARLYN E. ARCEMADELYN D. DOMETITA

Graphic ArtistGREGORIO I. GALMAN

PhotographerJOMAR S. LAGMAY

Circulation ManagerGIRLIE MARLYN E. ARCE

Contributing Writers

GENEVIEVE S. TATADGEORGE LUBIR, JR.

ARLY STA. ANA-VALDEZ REGINALD B. ESTIOCOJEREMIAH M. BORJA

DULCE AMOR L. LEDESMAANDREA JOY AGUTAYA

RAYMOND P. ESCALANTE AMALIA N. JUDICPA

EFREN O. VITOVIRGILIO A. DOROJA, JR.

JAZMIN O. CINCOMILDRED DABLIO

JOY FLORDELIS CORDERO CHARMAINE DAWN L. SONSONA

ANNIE TANGPOS

Parents of high school graduating students who attended the DOLE Cordillera Administrative Re-

gion’s career coaching forum last week in Lagawe, Ifugao have expressed gratitude to the Department of Labor and Employ-ment for the opportunity to be ‘educated’ on wise and appropriate college and ca-reer choices.

The career coaching forum is a regu-lar DOLE employment facilitation pro-gram that enables parents to get actively involved planning their children’s career and college courses.

“I’m very happy that my daughter has been oriented on careers with high em-

DOLE Cordillera’s career coaching forum attracts parents who say it’s an ‘education’ on choice of college course

ployability after graduation. As a parent, now I know my role in guiding my daugh-ter in her choice of a college course,” said Reynald Buhong, one of the 24 parents who attended the career coaching forum held at the Don Bosco High School Au-ditorium in Lagawe.

Buhong is the father of an aspiring chemical engineer.

“I am thankful to the DOLE for the ‘education’ I got on jobs disparity and mismatch in the region,” he added.

Secretary Baldoz said the DOLE high-ly values the proactive role of parents as partners in its effort to address jobs dis-parity and jobs mismatch.

She said parents exert profound influ-ence in their children’s career and college courses.

“By educating parents about in-demand occupations, the latest labor market infor-mation, and other labor and employment issues, we are able to direct their children towards careers with high employability after graduation,” Baldoz said.

The DOLE Ifugao Field Office, which conducted the forum, organized two ses-sions both for parents and students. Isabeli-ta Codamon, senior labor and employment officer, facilitated the discussions on job and career definition; labor market information and employment scenario; self-assessment towards right career choice; and skills de-velopment to meet the market’s demands. She also discussed with the participants the DOLE’s Project JOBS Fit, the key employ-ment generators, and the projected in-de-mand and hard-to-fill careers.

Nelly Pandagos, Don Bosco High School’s guidance counselor, lauded the DOLE’s campaign of explaining the par-ents’ role in their children’s career deci-sion-making and encouraging students to develop suitable skills that would enhance their opportunities and employability in the future.

Baldoz encouraged more parents and students to attend the career coaching ac-tivities of the DOLE, saying it would help parents appreciate their roles better in their children’s career planning process.

DOLE Good News

�November 2011

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t mayroong TUPAD, ang Tagalog na katumbas ng ‘tugon’ sa aming pangangailangan.” (And there

was TUPAD, a Filipino term for ‘fulfill,’ which answered our needs.”)

This is the unified expression of grati-tude by Obando, Bulacan Mayor Oren-cio Gabriel and the heads of the local government units of Calumpit, Pulilan, Paombong, and Hagonoy, Bulacan, to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) following the release of P3 mil-lion in financial assistance under the Tu-long Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvan-taged workers (TUPAD) Program.

The amount provided emergency em-ployment for 1,460 workers/families worst-affected by the onslaught of Ty-phoons Pedring and Quiel.

Acknowledging the expression of gratitude of the five local chief execu-tives, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda-Dimapilis-Baldoz the release of emergency employment funds to as-sist and provide the affected workers and families with alternative income was timely and called for.

“We know those affected by the ty-phoons and the subsequent flooding they brought need money for their basic needs as they rebuild their lives and restore their livelihood,” she said.

TUPAD is a social amelioration pro-gram aimed at providing emer-gency wage em-ployment as an immediate source of income for dis-advantaged work-ers and workers affected by natu-ral calamities.

DOLE Re-gional Office 3 Director Leop-oldo de Jesus has reported to Secretary Baldozthat the modest amount of as-sistance was allocated for the affected workers and their families as follows: Obando, P426,000 to 142 beneficiaries; Calumpit, P966,000 to 644 beneficiaries; Pulilan, P294,000 to 98 beneficiaries; Paombong, P414,000 to 276 beneficia-ries; and Hagonoy; P900,000 to 300 ben-eficiaries.

Bulacan LGUs thank DOLE for P3-M assistance through TUPADThe assistance was used to pay the wag-

es of the 1,460 hired workers for a 10-day work that involved massive clean-up of canals and drainages and re-greening of areas destroyed by the recent floods.

“More than attending to our needs, the assistance has inspired each beneficiary that there is hope amidst the tragic situation. We are very grateful that the DOLE has been there to lend a helping

hand,” Calumpit Mayor James De Jesus said, after he handed a certificate of ap-preciation to the DOLE Region 3 office.

Baldoz emphasized that the DOLE highly regards LGUs as partners in the effective implementation of its programs and services.

“As our partners, we look up to them especially during crisis situations when we need to quickly respond and provide

solutions and opportunities to help work-ers get back on their feet,” Baldoz said.

To sustain TUPAD, Baldoz disclosed that the DOLE has allocated P4.163 million from its savings under the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) for TUPAD beneficiaries in Tarlac, Bataan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Aurora, Zambales, and other Central Luzon areas also affected by the typhoons.

“A

RE-BUILDING LIVES AFTER THE STORM. DOLE Region III Director Leopoldo de Jesus (in pink polo) shares smiles with Hagonoy residents who benefitted from the 1.2M worth of livelihood packages under the DOLE’s TUPAD, complemented by the Starter Kits, and Nego Kart project to help Bulaca-ños affected by typhoons Pedring and Quiel.

DOLE Good News

� November 2011

Close to 800,000 applicants were placed in jobs through the Pub-lic Employment Service Offices

(PESOs) nationwide from January to September this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has re-ported.

Citing a preliminary report of the Bureau of Local Employment, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said that 798,775 jobseekers out of the 1,088,776 who were referred for job placement were placed in all types of jobs during the period. Of the total number of workers placed, more than 502,000 found jobs in the private sector while the rest were employed in the government.

The labor and employment chief said 1,299,270 jobseekers, including fresh graduates, highly skilled and semi-skilled workers, and disadvantaged workers, were provided job search assistance through the network of 1,069 PESOs in local government units (LGUs), schools, and other places during the first three quarters of 2011.

Baldoz also said that 52,851 jobseekers were referred for training and employ-ability enhancement services of the gov-ernment.

“This plainly demonstrates, and I reit-erate, the importance for all job applicants to build up proper skills and qualifica-tions so as to successfully land opportu-

Nearly 800,000 jobseekers placed through PESO in the first 9 months of 2011

nities that are right here, in companies and industries right in our own economy, and for the PESOs to efficiently facilitate the matching of skills and jobs between labor and employers,” said Baldoz.

Baldoz was apprised by BLE Director Ma. Criselda R. Sy that all in all, the PE-SOs solicited 2,050,441 job vacancies that were made available to the 1,299,270 job-seekers during the three-quarter period.

On top of these successful job place-ments, Sy indicated that more than half a million (532,002) job applicants na-tionwide have been assisted and referred as they registered in the 1,179 job fairs jointly organized by the DOLE regional offices and PESOs, in partnership with private sector companies and the gov-ernment, from January to Septem-ber this year.

According to the BLE, the highest number of fairs con-ducted in the first three quarters nationwide were in the National Capital Region (581), and correspondingly, the highest number of jobseekers assist-ed were in the NCR (150,848), followed by Region 4A (111,603), Region 7 (54,127), Re-gion 3 (36,815), Region 12 or SOCCSKSARGEN

(30,090), Region 6 (25,630), and other regions of the country.

The report on the PESO job place-ments nationwide in the first three quar-ters of 2011 came on the heels of the successful hosting by Davao City of the 11th National PESO Congress under the theme, “Disente at Produktibong Traba-ho, PESO ang Kaagapay ng Estado”.

The labor chief said that “the impor-tance of the PESOs is particularly high-lighted by the agenda of President Aqui-no III to address the labor-mismatch problem by promoting better coordina-tion between employers, academia, and government through strengthening both public (e.g. Public Employment Service Office) and private sector labor market information and exchange institutions, especially at the local levels.”

Director Sy said the current 1,069 op-erational PESOs have been established and accredited by DOLE by means of the continuous field work of the BLE and DOLE regional offices (ROs), in co-ordination with local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), non-government organizations (NGOs), or community-based organiza-tions (CBOs) nationwide. “Pursuant to the PESO Act of 1999 and its implement-ing rules and regulations, all the PESOs have been linked to the DOLE ROs for coordination and technical supervision, and to the DOLE Central Office, to con-stitute the national employment facilita-tion network,” said Sy.

�November 2011

DOLE Good News

The second wave of implementa-tion of the DOLE’s Skills Registry System (SRS), which went into full

blast this year, has bolstered the DOLE’s employment facilitation efforts that could spark grassroots development through in-creased ‘skills-fit’ employment, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dima-pilis-Baldoz said yesterday, as she reported that there are now 7,285 barangays in 151 local government units (LGUs) nation-wide that are plugged to the SRS.

In 2010, when the system was first im-plemented, only 42 LGUs covering 2,478 barangays have established the SRS. These LGUs included Makati City in the National Capital Region; Baguio City (CAR); Malolos City (Region 3); Puerto Princesa City (Region 4B); Mandaue City (Region 7); and Misamis Oriental (Region 10).

“From the recorded 155,141 skills reg-istered by the participating LGUs during the first wave, I expect the number of ‘live’ skills to be recorded by the 4,807 barangays in 109 LGUs covered in the second wave to increase,” Baldoz said.

Leading the pack of SRS-LGU reg-istrants is Region 9, with 12 registered LGUs, followed by Regions 4A, 7, 10, and the NCR with 11 LGUs each. Local partners from Regions 2, 3, 11 have also expressed support for the SRS, with each region adding 10 LGUs each to the list.

7,285 barangays in 151 LGUS now plugged to the Skills Registry System, close to “skills-fit” employment—Baldoz

The rest of the regions complete the total LGUs that have established the SRS dur-ing the first and second wave.

“This year, more LGUs, government officials, and local chief executives have realized the program’s positive contribu-tion to sustaining productivity of local employers and increasing employability of workers and jobseekers seeking oppor-tunities without going out of their com-munities,” Baldoz said.

The SRS provides a channel for local partners to act as ‘employment mediators’ in facilitating referral and placement of jobseekers in their respective jurisdictions.

In coordination with Public Employ-ment Service Offices (PESOs), LGUs play a vital role in the interplay of man-power supply and demand for it is they that solicit skills needed and are available to satisfy the local market; assist PE-SOs in the registration of workers; vali-

date skills information; and categorize whether each registrant is (a) employed; (b) looking for work; (c) moved out); or (d) not interested. LGUs also validate the monthly report on the local skills registry before submitting this to the BLE.

The SRS is an electronic system that captures and updates in a readily available data format all workers’ skills and quali-fications, as well as the list of establish-ments and vacancies in every province, city, town, and barangay in the country’s 16 regions. It is envisioned to become an accessible ‘live’ registry of skills that will address the perennial problem of skills

mismatch, as it will reflect the relevant labor market informa-tion needed in every area/re-gion to help workers find jobs and employers find skills.

The SRS translates into ac-tion the President’s 22-point labor and employment agenda that emphasizes the need to ad-dress the skills mismatch and bring government services to the grassroots while facilitating

workers’ search for employment.“Engaging LGUs to implement the

SRS for skills profiling of their constitu-ents, including overseas Filipino work-ers, is also highlighted in the employ-ment and social protection pillars under the Labor and Employment Plan 2011-2016, specifically on intensifying the implementation of active labor market policies and programs to enhance em-ployability of workers at local levels,” Baldoz said.

“Our local government partners are es-sential to the success of the SRS system. By bringing our employment services to the barangays, employers will have a wider base of workers who may have the skills and qualifications they need. Hence, the skills registry fulfills their (the business sector) requirements for locat-ing the right skills that the local industry needs at the right time,” Baldoz added.

BOOSTING 2ND WAVE OF REGISTRY IN DAVAO. Eight (8) Local Government Units across the Davao region each received a desktop computer, laptop, scanner, and printer as DOLE Region 11 launched the 2nd wave of the SRS project, which covered 220 barangays towards ‘live’ repository of Dabawenyo skills.

DOLE Good News

� November 2011

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz re-ported yesterday that the DOLE’s

strict implementation of D.O. No. 13 mandating a Construction Safety and Health Program (CSHP) in every con-struction project has resulted to a record 706 construction project sites inspected nationwide covering 1,442 contractors and subcontractors and 48,476 workers in 2011.

It has also led the DOLE to achieve an exponential increase in the conduct of the 40-hour Construction Safety Train-ing (CST), with 1,507 safety officers and practitioners in 30 batches trained this year, compared to only four batches in-volving 200 participants last year.

“Our pursuit of instilling safety and health in the construction industry throughout the country has handsomely paid off,” Baldoz said during the DOLE’s year-end press conference in Intramuros, Manila.

To strengthen health and safety pro-grams in the construction industry, the DOLE this year initiated the conclusion of an inter-agency Memorandum of Agreement and Joint Administrative Or-der (MOA-JAO) on Construction Safety with the Departments of Public Works and Highways, Interior and Local Gov-ernment, and Trade and Industry; and the Professional Regulation Commis-sion (PRC). The MOA-JAO aims for a holistic implementation of D.O. No. 13,

48,476 construction workers assured of safe workplaces due to DOLE’s more focused construction safety inspection and safety training in 2011

which provided the Guidelines Govern-ing Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction Industry.

The accord intensified the implemen-tation of construction safety and health requirements set forth in D.O. No. 13, particularly the CSHP which shall be submitted to the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) subject for modifica-tion in accordance to existing laws, rules and regulations, and other issuances by the DOLE.

“With the MOA-JAO, more con-struction companies implemented their CSHPs and complied with other safety and health requirements,” Baldoz said, as she reported a total of 567 CSHP appli-cations approved by the DOLE for 2011.

“The number of CSHP-compliant companies doubled compared to the 106

companies with approved health programs recorded in 2010,” she added.

Also this year, the DOLE started to expand safety education through the con-duct of construction safety orientation to 59 companies and trainers’ orientation on OSH awareness in 34 con-

struction sites, which adds another 1,352 to the number of educated and trained safety front-liners in construction proj-ects all over the country.

“The increased number of equipped and capacitated safety officers and in-spectors reflects the DOLE’s thrust of producing more competent safety van-guards in construction sites, who will ensure the implementation of CSHP requirements, inspection checklists, and site visits in the succeeding years. This is a boost to our efforts towards more pro-active action against any po-tential danger to our workers,” Baldoz explained.

Saying that the catchphrase, ‘Safety First’ in construction has been trans-lated into action in the construction industry in 2011, Baldoz said this was made possible due to the DOLE’s col-laborative efforts with partner agen-cies.

“Given that construction work is, indeed, one of the hazardous and

risky occupations which, therefore, requires more ex-tensive precautions compared to other industries, and also following the fatal accidents that rocked the con-struction industry during the year, we are pushing for an all-out implemen-tation of corrective safety measures in all construction projects and sites to ensure workers’ safety and protec-tion,” she said.

The DOLE’s thrust of protecting construction workers’ safety solidifies the country’s 2011-2016 labor and employment plan on decent work under the social pro-tection pillar, specifically item No. 62, which calls for an intensified cam-paign on safety and health standards in highly hazardous industries and imple-mentation of workforce-focused safety programs.

DOLE Good News

�November 2011

The Department of Labor and Em-ployment (DOLE) has recognized 134 companies in seven industry cat-

egories for their commitment in implement-ing occupational safety and health (OSH) programs and activities which resulted to having no disabling injuries or no lost time accidents (NLTA) in their workplaces.

The recognition, embodied in certificates awarded to the companies during appro-priate ceremonies at the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros, is part of the DOLE’s Bureau of Working Conditions’ Safety Milestone (SMILE) Recognition Program.

The number of SMILE award-ees in 2011 surpasses by 27.6 per-cent the total number of award-ees in 2010 which reached only 105 establishments. On the other hand, the number of subcontrac-tor awardees for the current year, which totaled 427, is higher by 14.5 percent than the 373 subcon-tractor awardees in 2010.

The SMILE awardees, which come from the 16 regions of the country, chalked up 118,376,385 safe work hours resulting to es-timated economic savings of P16,288,591.00 that contributed to the preservation of jobs of 41,450 workers.

SMILE is a proactive mecha-nism to keep and maintain safe and healthy workplaces through the continuous implementation of company-wide safety and health poli-cies and programs with the objective of preventing or controlling workplace acci-dents and injuries.

The SMILE Recognition program falls under the social protection chapter of the Labor and Employment Plan 2011-2016 which calls for intensified workforce-focused occupational safety and health programs through sustained dialogues between labor and management on OSH standards compliance and OSH program implementation at the enterprise level, particularly in industries identified as

Under BWC’s SMILE’s ‘no lost time accidents in workplaces’DOLE cites 134 companies for economic savings of P16.28-M that preserved the jobs of 41,450 workers

key employment generators. It is also an-chored on the social protection pillar of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda.

The first step towards the Department’s Incentivizing Compliance Program (ICP) for companies with no fatal/no lost time accident, SMILE is bestowed on firms and establishments that consistently com-ply with OSH standards, particularly safe and healthy workplaces.

DOLE Undersecretary for Work-ers Welfare and Protection Lourdes M. Trasmonte, who presided over the recog-nition ceremonies and who represented

Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, said in her inspirational message she was “very pleased to join and witness the cel-ebration of a milestone on occupational safety and health achieved by the award-ees in 2011.”

“Every time there is a celebration on safety and health, we feel assured that workers are getting the right protection against occupational risks and hazards. Indeed, the awarded companies have proven that workplace safety and health are important factors for the continued success of business,” she said.

“The implementation of safety and health programs and activities are not just about cost but an investment to sustain the business amidst industry challenges. OSH compliant companies become more competitive, productive and stable. Most important of all, clients and workers are satisfied and secured when companies’ work environments are healthy and safe,” Trasmonte added.

She also urged the SMILE awardees to “take care of your subcontractors”, not-ing the recent issuance of D.O. No. 18-A which provides for clear-cut guidelines on

contracting or subcontracting. “You should only deal with legal contractors, subcontractors and suppliers who should be compli-ant with labor laws and standards to make our workers happy, safe and productive,” she said.

Seventy two companies belong-ing to the services received the SMILE awards; 42 belonging to the manufacturing sector; 12 from power generation; five from the construction sector; and one each one each from the agriculture, tele-communication, and transporta-tion.

Among the leading SMILE awardees were Petron Corp., Coca Cola Bottlers Phils. Inc., Unilever Phils., MERALCO, NAPOCOR, Nestle Phils., San Miguel Brew-ery, Fast Service Corp., and Toy-

ota Phils., ACKPAK Inc., Analog Devices Phils., Clark Water Corp., D.M. Consunji, Inc., DDC Food Development Contract-ing Services, Inc., Excel Quality Inc., First Philec Solar Corp., Fairchild Semiconduc-tors Phils., Inc., LEADPACK Corp., Ma-nila Water Co., Inc., Leverflex Industrial Corp., and Philippine Sinter Corp.

Companies that achieved safe work-hours/NLTAs are selected based on their compli-ance with the report requirements of the Oc-cupational Safety and Health Center submit-ted by the establishments to the concerned DOLE regional offices and the BWC.

DOLE’S 6TH SMILE RECOGNITION AWARDS. DOLE Undersecretary for Workers Welfare and Protection Lourdes M. Trasmonte (4th from right) and Bureau of Working Conditions Director Brenda Villafuerte (4th from left) pose with the awardees of the DOLE’s 6th Safety Mile-stone (SMILE) Recognition Awards held recently at the Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila. The awards recognizes companies for no lost time accidents (NLTAs) in their operations during the year. Also in photo are DOLE Regional Directors Grace Ursua (extreme right) of Region II and Forter Puguon of Region VIII (second from left).

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yes-terday reported that one of the

major accomplishments of the Depart-ment this year was the formulation of the DOLE Integrity Development Plan 2012-2016, the document that shall serve as guidepost of all DOLE officials and em-ployees towards more transparency, better efficiency and greater accountability.

“We are happy to report that the DOLE, through our Integrity Develop-ment Plan 2012-2016, has made a very decisive step towards more ‘daylight’ transparency in all our transactions and work systems, in our dealing with our cli-ents and stakeholders, and in sustaining a culture of professionalism, excellence and integrity,” Baldoz said.

The DOLE IDP has the following com-ponents: (1) transparency; (2) strengthen-ing accountability; (3) and sustaining stakeholders’ involvement in integrity development.

The first component includes the on-line posting of the annual net worth of all third-level officials based on their submit-ted statements of assets and liabilities, sta-tus of labor standards cases; the DOLE Citizen’s Charter; compliance with the required posting of financial allocation and disbursement reports; and continu-ous implementation of the Zero and Per-formance-Based Budgeting System.

The second component has preventive and punitive features. The preventive fea-tures aim to strengthen systems integrity to eliminate opportunities for corruption and sustaining a culture of excellence and integrity in the DOLE.

Some of the measures in this area in-clude the conduct of corruption reviews and vulnerability assessment; improve-ment of existing internal controls on procurement and financial management; regular internal audit; expanding cov-erage of Citizen’s Charter; continuous implementation of the Speedy Dispen-sation of Labor Justice, or the SPEED Project; transparent and objective raffling of cases; institutionalization of client satisfaction survey and installation of

DOLE marks 2011 with tripartite-endorsed Integrity Development Plan

‘Plan will institutionalize more transparency, better efficiency, and greater accountability,’ Baldoz says

electronic feedback and complaints mecha-nism; knowledge and capacity building on anti-corruption laws, rules and regulations; and shortening of process cycle times for all transactions, etc.

Baldoz said some of the punitive mea-sures under the IDP are the speedy resolu-tion of all cases, especially graft and cor-ruption; quarterly monitoring of case status against officials and employees lodged with the Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, CSC, and the regular courts; issuance of updated administrative discipline manual that will include the creation of an administrative complaint unit in all offices; and capacity building for complaints/cas-es investigation.

On this score, she reported that as of 30 October this year, 181 cases have been filed against 202 DOLE person-nel. The number represents 2 percent of the DOLE’s total manpower of 8,139.

These cases are classified as administrative (153), crim-inal (24), and civil (4). Of the total number of cases, 36 are efficiency-related and 145 are integrity-related. Twenty-three (23) of the integrity-related cases are on graft and cor-ruption and the rest pertain to attendance, insubordination, and simple misconduct.

The labor and employment chief also noted that that 33 percent of the cases (42 out of 181) involving officials and employ-ees of DOLE were filed upon the start of the Aquino administration while 77 per-cent (139 out of 181) were filed prior to July 2010.

The IDP’s third component involves networking and building alliances with the private sector, as exemplified by the opera-tionalization of Tripartite Efficiency and Integrity Boards in all agencies and offices. Measures under this component also in-clude the signing of an Integrity Pledge by stakeholders with the DOLE, inclusion of compliance with anti-graft and corruption laws in the Voluntary Codes of Good Prac-tices of industries, forging of collaboration with oversight agencies, such as the COA,

CSC, OMB, and other government agen-cies, and integration of values education in the Continuous Labor Education Pro-gram for stakeholders.

“All agencies, bureaus, and offices of the DOLE should aspire to be ISO-cer-tified to ensure that all systems and pro-cesses conform to the requirements of integrity, accountability, and efficiency,” said Baldoz.

This is the first time for the DOLE to have an Integrity Development Plan based on the results of consultation with stake-holders that include its social partners. In the past, inputs to the plan were taken

only from the officials and assigned focal persons of the Department.

“What makes this a very significant milestone was that IDP was crafted with the involvement of our so-cial partners. The TEIBs at the national, regional and agency levels, especially the labor and management sec-tors’ representatives, were actively involved in its for-mulation. We want all our

stakeholders to be engaged in improving DOLE’s overall governance system,” Bal-doz highlighted.

The formulation of IDP is anchored on Chapter 5 of the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan (LEP) for 2011-2016, which focuses on “Sustaining Outcomes” and highlights the imperative of good governance in sustaining the intended re-sults of the LEP.

The IDP sprung from the DOLE re-form measure involving the institution-alization of Tripartite Efficiency and Integrity Boards (TEIBs) at the national, regional and agency levels in 2010 which signals the DOLE’s seriousness in its battle against all forms of graft and cor-ruption.

Supported by the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council and its counter-part in the regions, the TEIBs are a com-ponent of the Labor and Employment Plan for 2011-2016.