Short answer. Yes. Article 164 of the Labor Code expressly requires the Department of Labor and Employment to develop and implement training programs to increase the number and competence of personnel in the field of occupational safety and industrial health. This is a statutory obligation, not a discretionary goal.
What the law says
The Department of Labor and Employment shall develop and implement training programs to increase the number and competence of personnel in the field of occupational safety and industrial health.
Labor Code, Article 164 — Training Programs For Personnel. Read the full provision →
The duty stated in Article 164
Article 164 of the Labor Code is brief but mandatory: "The Department of Labor and Employment shall develop and implement training programs to increase the number and competence of personnel in the field of occupational safety and industrial health." The word "shall" makes this an obligation rather than a power. The Department is not permitted to choose whether to run such programs — it must both develop and implement them. The dual aim is equally clear: more people working in occupational safety, and a higher standard of competence among those who do.
Why the law mandates this
Occupational safety and industrial health are technical fields. Effective workplace inspection, hazard identification, health monitoring, and enforcement of safety standards all require trained specialists — safety officers, industrial hygienists, occupational physicians, and related personnel. A shortage of such specialists creates a gap between statutory requirements and actual compliance. Article 164 addresses that gap at the source by directing the Department itself to build the pipeline of trained professionals. Without this mandate, the broader occupational safety framework would depend on a pool of experts the market may not supply in adequate numbers.
Context within the Labor Code's safety chapter
Article 164 sits within the Labor Code's occupational safety and health provisions, alongside the related research mandate in Article 163. Together, they reflect a public law commitment: the state is not merely setting rules for employers but is also obligated to invest in the human infrastructure needed to enforce those rules and discover new risks. For employers, this provides the backdrop for understanding why DOLE safety personnel have the authority and expertise they do. For workers who want better enforcement, it is worth knowing that the Department's capacity to train more occupational safety staff is a legal duty, not a budget favor.
Note on article numbering
The articles of the Labor Code have been administratively renumbered, and this provision may be cited under a different number in some decisions and official references. Court decisions typically write both numbers in the form "Article [new] [original]." This page uses the original numbering as found in the source texts. When referring to a court ruling or a Department issuance that cites a different number, confirm which numbering convention it follows.