The Barangay Skilled Workers Registry Act

Senaic Office of the Secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES DEC 15 P1:10 First Regular Session RECEIVED BY: SENATE Senate Bill No. 1603 Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF REGISTRIES OF SKILLED WORKERS IN BARANGAYS EXPLANATORY NOTE Article II, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution provides that: "The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all." In line with this constitutional mandate, the role of local government units, especially barangays, which now number 42,011 nationwide 1 , is critical in achieving inclusive employment generation and poverty reduction. At the grassroots level, barangays are best positioned to maintain accurate, real-time information about the human resources available within their communities. Registries are effective tools in managing human resource data. Thus, this bill seeks the creation of the Barangay Skilled Workers Registry, which shall serve as a repository of information voluntarily declared by the skilled workers in every barangay. The registry shall contain relevant details, such as names, addresses, contact information, nature of services and/or skills offered, professional certifications, and prior work experience, if any. In all cases, the privacy rights of the skilled workers concerned shall be protected in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Department of Interior and Local Government, Regional Summary. Published on 3 November 2025. Available at https://www.dilg.gov.ph/PDF_File/factsfigures/dilg-facts-figures-2025113_0961191026.pdf (Accessed on 29 November 2025).

Its regular updating shall be aligned with the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) under Republic Act No. 11315, while protecting the right of individuals to withdraw their data at any time. Support will be provided to barangays through subsidies for ICT infrastructure and training of personnel by the National Privacy Commission (NPC), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall use the data to generate a skills supply map to determine the available skills in a city, province, or region. Such skills supply map will be helpful to a myriad of stakeholders, including potential investors and employers, private sector, non-government organizations, and government agencies and instrumentalities, especially in making investment decisions and policy decisions. Finally, the bill mandates the DICT, in coordination with relevant agencies, to harmonize existing registries such as TESDA's Registry of Certified Workers and DOLE's National Skills Registration Program, using the barangay registry as a foundational data source. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

Senate Office of the Secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES DEC 15 P1:10 First Regular Session RECEIVED BY: SENATE Senate Bill No. 1603 Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF REGISTRIES OF SKILLED WORKERS IN BARANGAYS Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "The Barangay

Skilled Workers Registry Act."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote full

employment and ensure the availability of quality, local, and regular employment opportunities for all Filipinos. Pursuant to this policy, the State recognizes the role of barangays in promoting job creation and economic development within their 7 localities. Towards this end, the State shall establish an employment information system at the barangay level, targeting skilled workers residing therein for effective matching of the workforce to local employment opportunities, establish a database of available skilled workers in the locality for investment promotion or generation, and eventually harmonize all existing workers registries into a centralized system.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms

shall be defined as follows:

a) Barangay refers to the smallest political unit into which cities and municipalities in the Philippines are divided in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code of the Philippines; 4 b) Barangay Skilled Workers Registry refers to the database of a particular barangay containing the information of all skilled workers residing therein who voluntarily registered and declared their qualifications, skills, and/or prior work experiences; and Skilled workers refer to persons who have some special skill, knowledge, or ability, whether acquired through formal or informal education, prior work experience, and/or training, and possess a degree of expertise in the performance of a given job. The skilled workers referred hereto shall, in no case, be limited to holders of national certificates issued by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

SEC. 4. The Barangay Skilled Workers Registry. - Every barangay shall

create a registry that will serve as a database for all skilled workers who voluntarily register to offer their services and seek employment opportunities within the locality. The skilled workers must be residents of the barangay where they seek to be registered. The registry shall be developed with the assistance of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). The registry shall be consolidated with registries of workers developed by the DOLE and other government agencies, in coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). For this purpose, it shall be compatible with the PESO-Employment Information System (PEIS).

SEC. 5. Contents of the Registry. - The Barangay Skilled Workers

Registry shall contain the following details: a) Name of the skilled worker; b) Office or Business Address; 30 c) Contact Information, such as mobile number, landline number, or e-mail address; 32 d) Nature of the services and/or skills offered;

1 e) Proof of qualifications (i.e., TESDA National Certificate (NC), Certificate of Competency (COC), or any other certificate of training or seminars attended), if any; 4 f) Prior work experience, if any; and g) Photocopy of Philippine Identification Card (Philippine ID) pursuant to Republic Act No. 11055. If the registration is made during the pendency of the implementation of Republic Act No. 11055, the applicant shall submit photocopies of two (2) government-issued identification cards. This is without prejudice to the submission of the said copy of the Philippine ID immediately upon availability. The barangay secretary shall post at the barangay's bulletin board or a conspicuous place within the barangay hall a regularly updated summary of available skilled workers in the locality, without explicitly mentioning the name and other personal details of the workers in the Registry, and in all cases, with due regard to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the "Data Privacy Act of 2012," and its implementing rules and regulations. Such summary shall also be posted online, either through the official website of the barangay or its official social media account/s, and reflected in the barangay human resource profile for investment promotion or generation.

SEC. 6. Access to the Registry and Information Contained Therein.

21 - The barangay shall, upon a duly verified request, provide the following information to the requestor: a) Title or occupation of the skilled worker; b) Nature of the services and/or skills offered by the skilled worker; c) Proof of qualifications (i.e., TESDA National Certificate (NC), Certificate of Competency (COC), or any other certificate of training or seminars attended), if any; Provided, That license numbers or other similar control numbers shall be redacted, unless and until the potential employer has decided to conduct the pre-employment process for the engagement of the skilled worker; and d) Prior work experience of the skilled worker, if any, which shall be couched in general terms.

The request shall be made to the barangay through a form, which shall 2 include the requestor's name, address, contact details, and reason for requesting 3 the above information of the skilled worker; Provided, That prior consent from the 4 skilled worker concerned shall be sought before the foregoing information shall be revealed; Provided, further, That in no case shall the name of the skilled worker 6 be revealed except upon his/her specific consent with prior notice of the identity 7 of the person or entity requesting his/her information; Provided, finally, That 8 access to the registry shall, at all times, comply with the provisions of the Data 9 Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations. The barangay secretary or employee having custody over the registry shall 11 act on the request immediately upon receipt of the duly accomplished and verified form of the requestor.

SEC. 7. Prohibition on Collection of Registration Fees. - The inclusion

of a skilled worker's name and corresponding details in the registry shall be free of charge. However, the constituents who request a copy of the database may be charged a reasonable fee to cover the actual cost of printing or reproducing the details subject of the request.

SEC. 8. Updating of the Registry. - Updating of data collected shall be

aligned with the regular and synchronized data collection conducted by local government units, in line with Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise known as the "Community-Based Monitoring System Act." This is without prejudice to the right 22 of the skilled workers to request the barangay to immediately include and reflect any significant change/s in any of the information mentioned under Section 5 of this Act, including the withdrawal of his or her personal data from the registry upon a verified written request submitted to the barangay. Information not voluntarily updated and/or confirmed as unchanged by the concerned skilled worker for a period of three (3) consecutive years shall be removed from the database.

SEC. 9. Support and Subsidy for Information and Communications

Technology (ICT) Infrastructure and Systems for Barangays. - The DILG shall include in its annual budget the necessary amount for the maintenance and

1 operation of the barangay registries, and the subsidy to capacitate the barangays 2 with ICT infrastructure and systems compatible with the PESO-PEIS. Likewise, the barangay personnel tasked with the duties and responsibilities 4 of maintaining and updating the registry and coordinating with registrants and 5 potential clientele of skilled workers shall be provided the appropriate capacity- 6 building and training by the National Privacy Commission, DOLE, and DICT, in 7 coordination with the League of Provinces, League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and Liga ng mga Barangay.

SEC. 10. Roles of Government Agencies. - The following agencies shall

10 perform the functions, duties, and responsibilities stated herein: a) Barangay: 1) Disseminate information on the requirements and qualifications needed for registration; Ensure the protection of information submitted by skilled workers in its accordance with the provisions of the Data Privacy Act and implementing rules and regulations; Coordinate with the PESO of the local government unit exercising jurisdiction over it, or in the absence thereof, the regional PESO, for the establishment of the registry, for job-matching opportunities available within or near the locality, and extension of PESO programs and activities that may be availed of by registered skilled workers; 4) Update the information contained in the registry, whether annually or upon the request of the skilled worker; and Process requests for information in accordance with the provisions of the Data Privacy Act and other pertinent rules and regulations. b) DILG: 1) Supervise and assist in the establishment and maintenance of the registry, on-site or online, in the respective barangays; and 2) Integrate and consolidate the barangay registries with the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), the Community-Based Monitoring System, and other existing registries, in coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority.

C) DOLE: 1) Through the PESOs, assist barangays in developing a registry, which shall be compatible with the PEIS; 2) Provide technical assistance and allied support services to the barangays, including, but not limited to, the training of personnel in the various aspects of employment facilitation functions; and Extend PESO programs under Republic Act No. 8759, as amended by Republic Act No. 10691, otherwise known as the "Public Employment Service Act of 1999," including, but not limited to, employment information services, training, seminars, counseling, and career guidance to registered skilled workers within the barangay. d) National Privacy Commission (NPC): 1) Conduct training and capacity-building of barangay secretaries and/or barangay employees having custody over the registries to ensure compliance with the Data Privacy Act and its implementing rules and regulations; and 2) Receive complaints, institute investigations, and/or impose sanctions for any violation of the Data Privacy Act and its implementing rules and regulations in the exercise of its quasi-judicial functions. e) DICT: 1) Provide the relevant digital skills training and seminars to barangay personnel tasked with maintaining and updating the registry; and 2) Devise and implement a centralized system harmonizing all existing skilled workers registries. f) TESDA: 1) Utilize the registry to offer technical education and skills development programs, courses, and/or scholarships to registered skilled workers that are non-holders of national certificates from TESDA; Provided, That priority shall be given to those skilled workers that have no certifications from any training institution, whether public or private; and Formulate a skills supply map to determine the available skills in each city, province, and/or region.

SEC. 11. Pilot Program. - The DOLE and the DILG shall establish and

2 implement a pilot program in an appropriate number of selected barangays, which 3 shall last for a period of not more than three (3) years. The DOLE and the DILG, 4 in coordination with the barangays included in the initial pilot implementation, shall 5 be responsible for baselining, scoping, and research work prior to implementation, regular monitoring, and evaluation. At the end of the pilot program, the DOLE and 7 the DILG shall submit a report on its findings to Congress.

SEC. 12. Harmonization of the Barangay Skilled Workers Registry

9 with Other Existing Registries. - All existing skilled workers registry, including, 10 but not limited, to TESDA's Registry of Certified Workers and DOLE's Skills Registry System database, shall be harmonized and consolidated into a single, centralized system, to be made accessible to the original maintaining government agencies and the barangays, but in all cases subject to the provisions of the Data Privacy Act and its implementing rules and regulations. The DICT shall take charge in planning, devising, and establishing a centralized system in preparation for the consolidation of registries.

SEC. 13. Appropriations, - The amount necessary for the initial

implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the departments concerned. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within one hundred

twenty (120) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DILG, shall, in consultation with relevant government agencies and stakeholders, promulgate the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to carry out the provisions of this Act. Failure of the relevant government agencies to promulgate the IRR within the specified period shall subject the heads of these government agencies to administrative penalties under applicable civil service laws. Should the IRR contain provisions that are contrary to this Act, the heads of 30 the government agencies responsible for such provision, when done in bad faith 31 or with gross negligence, shall be held administratively liable.

SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is

2 declared unconstitutional, the remainder hereof or any provisions not affected 3 thereby shall remain in force and effect.

SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,

5 executive order, letter of instruction, rule, or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

8 complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 9 circulation. Approved,