Declaration of Policy
- The State commits to protecting labor and promoting full employment.
- It ensures equal work opportunities regardless of sex, race, or creed.
- Regulates relations between workers and employers.
- Guarantees workers' rights to self-organization, collective bargaining, security of tenure, and just and humane working conditions.
- Establishes a mechanism to educate future workers, employers, and entrepreneurs about their rights and responsibilities to promote workplace harmony and social progress.
Definition of Terms
- "Tertiary Education Curriculum" refers to the general education for students in higher education institutions (HEIs) leading to degree and non-degree diploma and certificate courses in technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).
- "Labor Education" encompasses teaching basic knowledge on labor rights, negotiation skills, fostering smooth interpersonal workplace relations, and grievance redress mechanisms.
Integration of Labor Education in Higher Education Curriculum
- All public and private HEIs must integrate labor education as an elective course.
- HEIs should, as far as practicable, hold a Labor Empowerment and Career Guidance conference for graduating students.
- The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is responsible for developing the program for implementation.
Integration of Labor Education in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Curriculum
- All TVIs offering certificate and diploma courses (1 to 3 years) shall include labor education as an elective.
- TVIs offering short-term courses (1 month to less than 1 year) are encouraged to include labor education within modular programs.
- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), together with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), shall develop instructional modules and materials.
Curriculum Review
- The scope and quality of labor education will be included in the comprehensive curriculum review conducted by CHED and TESDA.
Implementing Rules and Guidelines
- CHED and TESDA, in consultation with DOLE and stakeholders, must formulate implementing rules and regulations within 60 days from the Act's effectivity.
Separability Clause
- If any provision of the Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, it shall not nullify the rest of the Act, provided the remaining provisions can subsist independently.
Repealing Clause
- All laws, decrees, orders, or regulations inconsistent with the Act are revoked, repealed, or modified accordingly.
Effectivity
- The Act takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.