National Manpower

Development Program
By: Atty. John Richard A. Delos Reyes
 Basic Policy
The objective of the program is to develop human
resources, establish training institutions, and formulate
such plans and programs as will ensure efficient
allocation, development and utilization of the nation’s
manpower and thereby promote employment and
accelerate economic and social growth.
 Manpower
It refers to that portion of the nation’s population which has
actual or potential capability to contribute directly to the
production of goods and services. That means that every
person who has reached the minimum working age, is
able and willing to work, is a part of a country’s manpower,
whether actually working or not. It is synonymous with
“labor force” and “human resources.”
 National Manpower and Youth Council;
Composition
To carry out the objectives of this program, the National Manpower and
Youth Council, which is attached to the Department of Labor for policy and
program coordination and hereinafter referred to as the Council, shall be
composed of the Secretary of Labor as ex-officio chairman, the Secretary
of Education and Culture as ex-officio vice-chairman, and as ex-officio
members, the Secretary of Economic Planning, the Secretary of Natural
Resources, the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, the Secretary
of Social Welfare, the Secretary of Local Government, the Secretary of
Science and Technology, the Secretary of Trade and Industry and the
Director-General of the Council. The Director General shall have no vote.

In addition, the President shall appoint the following members from the
private sector: two (2) representatives of national organizations of
employers; two (2) representatives of national workers’ organizations; and
one representative of national family and youth organizations, each for a
term of three (3) years.
 TESDA
Originally, the agency tasked with carrying out the objectives of the
National Manpower Development Program was the NMYC. It has
been replaced by the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) which was created by R.A. No. 7796, also
known as TESDA Act of 1994. The declared policy of the law is to
provide relevant, accessible, high quality and efficient technical
education and skills development in support of the development of
high quality Filipino middle-level manpower responsive to and in
accordance with Philippine development goals and priorities.

It mandates the state to encourage active participation of various

concerned sectors, particularly private enterprises, being direct
participants in and immediate beneficiaries of a trained and skilled
workforce, in providing technical education and skills development
opportunities.
 TESDA Board
It has a board composed of the Secretary of Labor and
Employment as Chairperson, the Secretaries of
Education, Culture and Sports and of Trade and Industry
as Co-Chairpersons, and as members of the following: the
Secretaries of Agriculture and of Secretariat; two
representatives of employer/industry organizations, one of
whom shall be a woman; three representatives of the
labor sector, one of whom shall be a woman; and three
representatives of private technical-vocational education
and training institutions, one of whom shall be a woman.
 Function of the Board
The TESDA Board is primarily responsible for formulating,
continuing, conducting and fully integrating technical
education and skills development policies, plans and
manpower. It is assisted by a Secretariat, headed by a
Director-General, which, among other things, designs,
develops and recommends to the Board the necessary
plans to carry out the objects of the TESDA Act.
 National Manpower Plan
The Council shall formulate a long-term national
manpower plan for the optimum allocation, development
and utilization of manpower for employment,
entrepreneurship and economic and social growth. This
manpower plan shall, after adoption by the Council, be
updated annually and submitted to the President for his
approval. Thereafter, it shall be the controlling plan for the
development of manpower resources for the entire country
in accordance with the national development plan. The
Council shall call upon any agency of the Government or
the private sector to assist in this effort.
 National Manpower Skills Center

The Council shall establish a National Manpower Skills

Center and regional and local training centers for the
purpose of promoting the development of skills. The
centers shall be administered and operated under such
rules and regulations as may be established by the
Council.
 Administration of training programs
The Council shall provide, through the Secretariat, instructor training,
entrepreneurship development, training in vocations, trades and other
fields of employment, and assist any employer or organization in training
schemes designed to attain its objectives under rules and regulations
which the Council shall establish for this purpose.
The Council shall exercise, through the Secretariat, authority and
jurisdiction over, and administer, on-going technical assistance programs
and/or grants-in-aid for manpower and youth development including those
which may be entered into between the Government of the Philippines and
international and foreign organizations and nations, as well as persons
and organizations in the Philippines.
In order to integrate the national manpower development efforts, all
manpower training schemes as provided for in this Code shall be
coordinated with the Council, particularly those having to do with the
setting of skills standards. For this purpose, existing manpower training
programs in the government and in the private sector shall be reported to
the Council which may regulate such programs to make them conform with
national development programs.
 Employment service training functions
The Council shall utilize the employment service of the
Department of Labor for the placement of its graduates.
The Bureau of Employment Services shall render
assistance to the Council in the measurement of
unemployment and underemployment, conduct of local
manpower resource surveys and occupational studies
including an inventory of the labor force, establishment
and maintenance without charge of a national register of
technicians who have successfully completed a training
program under the Labor Code, and skilled manpower
including its publication, maintenance of an adequate and
up-to-date system of employment information.
 Incentive Scheme
An additional deduction from taxable income of one-half
(1/2) of the value of labor training expenses incurred for
development programs shall be granted to the person or
enterprise concerned provided that such development
programs, other than apprenticeship, are approved by the
Council and the deduction does not exceed ten percent
(10%) of the direct labor wage.