MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ Memorandum Circular No. 19, November 4, 1998 ]
DIRECTING THE FORMULATION OF THE MEDIUM-TERM COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYMENT PLAN, 1999-2004
WHEREAS, Article XIII, Sec. 3 of the 1987 Constitution, mandates that the State shall afford protection to labor, local and overseas, organized, and unorganized, and promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all;
WHEREAS, the foremost key result area of the Estrada Administration is the provision of opportunities for employment and income generation which should be translated into specific policies, programs and targets, including the necessary legislation that will support such undertaking;
WHEREAS, there is a need to formulate a more focused approach to employment planning to achieve the best results for the uplift of the poor and vulnerable sectors of society;
WHEREAS, there is a need to come up with a Comprehensive Employment Plan, 1999 – 2004, as a companion plan to the Philippine Development Plan, 1999- 2004, specifically to address the continuing problems of unemployment and underemployment;
WHEREAS, there is a need to ensure that the Comprehensive Employment Plan to be formulated reflects the aspirations of all sectors of the Philippine society.
NOW, THEREFORE, I JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order that:
Section 1. Lead Coordinator. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) shall coordinate the preparation of the Medium-Term Comprehensive Employment Plan, 1999-2004, which shall focus on identifying the major sectors and/or areas that will generate employment opportunities, determine and prioritize the critical strategies and measures for the generation and preservation of employment; and identify the unique roles of the executive and legislative branches of government, the employers, labor and the civil society in the implementation of the action plans. As lead coordinator, the DOLE is hereby authorized to mobilize the existing multi-sectoral committees or technical working groups that will contribute in the crafting of the Plan;
Section 2. Components of the Plan. The Plan shall contain the following basic elements:
a. Employment goals and objectives;
b. Strategy and policy framework to attain the goals and objectives; and
c. Priority sectoral activities, including key employment generators (KEGs) and key employment programs/policies (KEPPs), the corresponding measurable output indicators and targets, and the legislative agenda supportive of the identified employment strategies.
Section 3. Consultations with Concerned Agencies and Sectors. The Plan shall be formulated in close collaboration consultation with other agencies of the executive branch, the legislative branch, the local government units, and the private/non-government sectors. All departments, agencies and government-owned and/or controlled corporations shall participate in the formulation of the Plan through the technical working groups, or through the multi-sectoral consultation process to be undertaken. For this purpose, they shall draw inputs from their regional offices, which in turn shall consider regional/provincial employment goals and strategies.
Section 4. Planning Guidelines. The process to be followed in the formulation of the Plan shall be in accordance with the planning guidelines to be prepared by the DOLE.
Section 5. Funding. The DOLE and the other departments or government agencies concerned are hereby authorized to disburse funds to defray expenses necessary for the attainment of the objectives of this Circular, subject to the usual accounting and auditing requirements.1âшphi1
Section 6. Effectivity. This Circular shall take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 4Th day of November in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Eight.
(Sgd.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA
By the President
(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Executive Secretary
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