RULE II : Employment Promotion

SECTION 1. Powers of the Secretary of Labor and Employment. — The Secretary shall have the power and authority to:

(a) Organize and establish, as the need arises, new public employment offices in addition to or in place of existing ones for the efficient, systematic and coordinated recruitment and placement of workers for local and overseas employment.

(b) Organize and establish a nationwide job clearance and information system to inform applicants registering with a particular employment office of job opportunities in other parts of the country as well as overseas.

(c) Develop and organize programs that will facilitate occupational, industrial and geographical mobility of labor and provide assistance in the relocation of workers from one area to another.

(d) Require any person, establishment, organization or institution to submit such employment information as may be necessary; and

(e) Issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary to regulate and supervise private sector participation in the recruitment and placement of workers, locally or overseas, in the context of a comprehensive national employment program.

SECTION 2. Free placement services. — The public employment offices shall provide free placement of workers applying for both domestic and overseas placement. Applicants shall accomplish appropriate information sheets and submit such other documents as may be prescribed by the Bureau for the purpose.

SECTION 3. Placement of workers. — Any applicant registering for employment with a public employment office shall be interviewed to determine his occupational qualifications. The public employment office shall refer him to any appropriate job for vacancy.

SECTION 4. Vocational guidance and testing. — The public employment offices shall provide adequate vocational guidance and testing service to persons seeking help in choosing or changing an occupation. Each office shall at least have one (1) vocational guidance and testing officer to undertake these tasks.

SECTION 5. Occupational classification of registered applicants. — The public employment office shall classify registered applicants in accordance with job-titles and codes of the Philippine Standard Classification. They shall also maintain a registry of skills using such forms as may be appropriate for the purpose.

SECTION 6. Occupational-industrial mobility of workers. — The public employment offices shall arrange for the training or retraining of unemployed applicants in occupations or trades where they are suitably qualified and have greater prospect of employment.

SECTION 7. Geographical movement of workers. — The public employment office shall arrange for the inter-area placement of unemployed workers through a nationwide job-clearance and information system. The transfer of workers shall be arranged by the public employment office where the applicant is registered and the office where the vacancy exists.

SECTION 8. Job-clearance and information system. — The public employment office shall furnish lists of registered job applicants and job openings to the Bureau which shall act as the national job-clearing house.

SECTION 9. Submission of reports. — At the end of each month, every employer with at least six (6) employees shall submit to the nearest public employment office the following:

(a) List of existing job vacancies or openings;

(b) List of new employees, if any;

(c) Terminations, lay-offs or retirements;

(d) Total number of employed workers for the period; and

(e) Request for assistance, if needed, to fill vacancies or openings.