Tagaytay City:The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) have entered into a significant agreement aimed at strengthening labor justice services in the Philippines. This partnership, formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday by DOLE Secretary Francis Tolentino and PHILJA Chancellor Justice Edgardo Delos Santos in Tagaytay City, seeks to establish a robust framework for professional education, capacity-building, research, and institutional development dedicated to supporting the National Academy of Labor Justice (NALJ).
According to Philippines News Agency, the agreement empowers PHILJA, the training arm of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, to provide technical, academic, and advisory assistance to DOLE. This collaboration will focus on the development of the NALJ's initial curriculum, organizational framework, and training programs. Additionally, it will cover faculty and trainer development, preparation of learning resources, research and publications, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and the conduct of seminars, workshops, conferences, and other professional development activities.
The NALJ, established through DOLE Department Order No. 257, series of 2026, serves as the department's exclusive and mandatory training institution for the professional development and continuing education of labor justice practitioners. The collaboration aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of key labor justice figures, such as National Labor Relations Commission commissioners, labor arbiters, DOLE hearing officers, mediator-arbiters, voluntary arbitrators, legal officers, and labor inspectors, to ensure fair and efficient resolution of labor disputes and protection of workers' rights.
DOLE will take the lead in the administration and operationalization of the NALJ, while PHILJA will contribute its expertise in judicial education and curriculum development. The Institute for Labor Studies, acting as the NALJ Secretariat, will coordinate the implementation of the agreement for DOLE.
The memorandum of understanding is set to remain in force for five years, providing a framework for sustained cooperation between DOLE and PHILJA. This partnership aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to strengthen government institutions and improve public service delivery, with a particular focus on protecting workers' rights and welfare through accessible, fair, and efficient labor justice mechanisms.
