The Barangay Skilled Workers Registry Act

Senati Office of the serraty TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 26 JAN 27 A10:14 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. 1691 Introduced by Senator MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID AN ACT MANDATING ALL BARANGAYS TO CREATE A REGISTRY OF SKILLED WORKERS, TO PROVIDE FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Registries are established to provide an effective and efficient mechanism for collecting, organizing, and accessing various forms of data. In the employment context, registries serve as a reliable and readily accessible reference for identifying available human resources within a given locality. They offer a practical response to the persistent challenges faced by young job seekers-particularly the difficulty of aligning their skills and competencies with the evolving requirements of employers across different industries. This measure seeks to institutionalize the National Skills Registration Program (NSRP), an employment facilitation mechanism of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which aims to maintain a continuing nationwide skills registry through its Skills Registry System (SRS) database. At present, the program operates through Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) at the city and municipal levels. This bill proposes to further strengthen and expand the program by extending its coverage to the barangay level, the country's most basic political unit.

To this end, the bill provides for the establishment of a Barangay Skilled Workers Registry, which shall serve as a localized repository of information voluntarily submitted by skilled workers residing in each barangay. Individuals possessing skills and experience, including those aspiring to enter specific professions or seeking industry exposure through internships or learnerships to complete their academic requirements, may register relevant information such as their names, addresses, contact details, technical and professional qualifications-including TESDA National Certificates-areas of interest, and specific industry skill sets. This system will enable employers to readily access, identify, and recruit qualified candidates from a reliable local talent pool. Likewise, establishments offering internships, learnerships, or full-time employment opportunities may utilize the registry to search for prospective applicants based on certifications, job functions, or geographic location through a user-friendly, faceted search interface. Potential candidates may then be contacted directly through the system, thereby facilitating timely and efficient job matching. Moreover, a running census of our country's skill level provides insights to our government agencies to enable them support sectors as may be necessary for national security and development. In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought. MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID Senator

Senate Office of the sochcarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) JAN 27 A10:14 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S. No. 1691 Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid AN ACT MANDATING ALL BARANGAYS TO CREATE A REGISTRY OF SKILLED WORKERS, TO PROVIDE FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

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

5 Workers Registry Act."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State promote full,

sustainable, productive, and freely chosen employment and ensure the availability of quality, local, decent 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 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.

SECTION 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; 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 c. 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 14 Authority (TESDA).

SECTION 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 Public Employment Service Office - Employment Information System (PEIS). The entry shall be centralized for the whole country and be made accessible online.

SECTION 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; C. Contact Information, such as mobile number, landline number, or e-mail address; d. Nature of the services and/or skills offered; 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; 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.

SECTION 6. Access to the Registry and Information Contained Therein. -

2 The barangay shall, upon a duly verified request, provide the following information to 3 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 include the requestor's name, address, contact details, and reason for requesting the above information of the skilled worker; Provided, That prior consent from the 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 be revealed except upon his/her specific consent with prior notice of the identity of the person or entity requesting his/her information; Provided, finally, That access to the registry shall, at all times, comply with the provisions of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations. The barangay secretary or employee having custody over the registry shall act on the request immediately upon receipt of the duly accomplished and verified form of the requestor.

SECTION 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

1 charged a reasonable fee to cover the actual cost of printing or reproducing the details 2 subject of the request.

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

4 aligned with the regular and synchronized data collection conducted by local 5 government units, in line with Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise known as the 6 "Community-Based Monitoring System Act." This is without prejudice to the right of 7 the skilled workers to request the barangay to immediately include and reflect any 8 significant change/s in any of the information mentioned under Section 5 of this Act, 9 including the withdrawal of his or her personal data from the registry upon a verified 10 written request submitted to the barangay. Information not voluntarily updated and/or confirmed as unchanged by the 12 concerned skilled worker for a period of three (3) consecutive years shall be archived 13 from the database.

SECTION 9. Support and Subsidy for Information and Communications

15 Technology (ICT) Infrastructure and Systems for Barangays. - The DILG shall 16 include in its annual budget the necessary amount for the maintenance and operation 17 of the barangay registries, and the subsidy to capacitate the barangays with ICT 18 infrastructure and systems compatible with the PESO-PEIS. Likewise, the barangay personnel tasked with the duties and responsibilities of 20 maintaining and updating the registry and coordinating with registrants and potential 21 clientele of skilled workers shall be provided the appropriate capacity-building and training by the National Privacy Commission, DOLE, and DICT, in coordination with the League of Provinces, League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and Liga ng mga Barangay.

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

perform the functions, duties, and responsibilities stated herein: a. Barangay: 1. Disseminate information on the requirements and qualifications needed for registration;

2. Ensure the protection of information submitted by skilled workers in accordance with the provisions of the Data Privacy Act and its implementing rules and regulations; 3. 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 5. Process requests for information in accordance with the provisions of the Data Privacy Act and other pertinent rules and regulations. b. Department of Interior and Local Government: 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. Department of Labor and Employment: 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 3. 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: 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. Department of Information and Communications Technology: 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. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority: 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 2. Formulate a skills supply map to determine the available skills in each city, province, and/or region.

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

implement a pilot program in an appropriate number of selected barangays, which shall last for a period of not more than three (3) years. The DOLE and the DILG, in coordination with the barangays included in the initial pilot implementation, shall 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 the DILG shall submit a report 2 on its findings to Congress.

SECTION 12. Harmonization of the Barangay Skilled Workers Registry with

4 Other Existing Registries. - All existing skilled workers registry, including, but not 5 limited, to TESDA's Registry of Certified Workers and DOLE's Skills Registry System 6 database, shall be harmonized and consolidated into a single, centralized system, to 7 be made accessible to the original maintaining government agencies and the 8 barangays, but in all cases subject to the provisions of the Data Privacy Act and its 9 implementing rules and regulations. The DICT shall take charge in planning, devising, 10 and establishing a centralized system in preparation for the consolidation of registries.

SECTION 13. Access to Data. - All persons shall have secure access to their

12 own data. They shall have control over who shall be given access to their information 13 such as, but not limited to, prospective employers from the public and private sector. 14 The government agencies shall have access to aggregated and location-based data as 15 may be necessary to perform their mandates.

SECTION 14. Appropriations. - The funds for the initial implementation of

17 this Act shall be sourced from the current budget of the departments concerned. Thereafter, the amount necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days

from the effectivity of this Act, the DILG, in coordination with DOLE, NPC, TESDA, DICT, and other concerned agencies, and upon consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall formulate the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 16. Separability Clause. - In the event that any part, section or

provision of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a competent court, the remaining provisions thereby shall remain valid and in full force and effect as if the sections or provisions so annulled or voided had never been incorporated herein.

SECTION 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,

2 issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof not consistent with the provisions of 3 this Act are hereby repealed or modified and/or superseded as case may be by this Act accordingly.

SECTION 18. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers 7 of general circulation. Approved,