QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 11927)
Republic Act No. 11927 is titled the “Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act.”
The State shall enhance the skills and competitiveness of the Philippine workforce in human, digital technology, and innovation; ensure access to global-standard digital skills for all Filipino workers; encourage digital innovation and entrepreneurship; provide necessary infrastructure; and undertake upskilling, reskilling, and training in collaboration with private stakeholders.
A digital workforce refers to any natural person who engages in remunerated activity through the use of digital skills and digital technology, whether as a regular employee or as a freelancer, regardless of work or employment arrangement.
Digital labor platforms are digital technology-based platforms that facilitate production, trade, and exchange of digital content, digital products, or other goods and services arising from digital transactions, including web-based platforms for outsourced work and location-based applications for allocating work.
They include improving digital competence of citizens of working age; ensuring Filipinos have digital and 21st century skills; providing protection and support for continuous skills improvement; providing co-working/shared facilities and concessional loan facilities; ensuring digital inclusion for special sectors; and ensuring consultation among government, industry, and labor stakeholders for relevant policies and programs.
The Inter-Agency Council is chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
DOLE, DTI, DICT, DOST, DILG, DepEd, CHED, and TESDA (with NEDA as chair).
It is the primary planning, coordinating, and implementing body for the promotion, development, enhancement, and competitiveness of the Philippine digital workforce, including the development of a national roadmap for upskilling, reskilling, and training through stakeholder consultation and collaboration.
With DOLE as lead, it identifies available digital skills and competencies, skills gaps, training needs, workforce digital demographics by sector, and the availability and access to digital platforms and ICT infrastructure.
DICT and DOST are lead agencies (with collaboration with stakeholders) for designing and implementing the training programs.
They include: full/partial scholarships or subsidies for trainings and certifications (local or abroad); subsidies for co-working/shared facilities and equipment/services; credit assistance at low interest for equipment acquisition (computers, hardware, and software); priority access to DTI start-up/MSME support for digital entrepreneurs; and other incentives to promote digital technology and digital skills across industries.
The Council must establish a centralized web portal for all related training, skills development, certification, and scholarship programs so qualified workers can access them.
All LGUs must create local policies supporting and promoting growth and development of digital technology, digital careers, and innovations in their communities, which may include incentives for technological innovations for agri-fishery industries and hospital care/public health services.
PESOs must: develop and maintain a webpage for PESO-accredited employers’ vacancies; create a digital application help desk; encourage and facilitate local access to crowdwork/crowdsource/work-in-demand apps; create a localized digital technology and digital skills registry and encourage listing; and conduct virtual job fairs.
DICT, DBM, DPWH, and other agencies must prioritize development of ICT infrastructure for universal high-speed, quality, affordable internet; DILG and DICT jointly assess e-readiness of municipalities, cities, provinces, and regions to ensure a thriving digital workforce ecosystem.
It authorizes the Inter-Agency Council to enter into PPPs with experts and industry/private stakeholders to formulate and implement training, skills development, and certification programs, including areas such as web development, online teaching, content creation, digital marketing, mobile application development, data analytics, virtual assistance, customer service/technical support, and remote work management.
Within six (6) months from the effectivity of the Act.
They must submit a report to Congress not later than June 30 of each year on the status of implementation.