Short answer. The Secretary of Labor. Article 14 of the Labor Code grants the Secretary of Labor the power and authority to organize and establish new employment offices in addition to existing ones under the Department of Labor, as the need arises, as part of a broader mandate to promote employment nationwide.
What the law says
Employment promotion. The Secretary of Labor shall have the power and authority: To organize and establish new employment offices in addition to the existing employment offices under the Department of Labor as the need arises
Labor Code, Article 14 — Powers To Promote Employment. Read the full provision →
The power to expand employment offices rests with the Secretary of Labor
Article 14 places this authority directly in the hands of one official: the Secretary of Labor shall have the power and authority: to organize and establish new employment offices in addition to the existing employment offices under the Department of Labor as the need arises. This is not a power shared broadly across different agencies; it is specifically vested in the Secretary of Labor, who decides when and where new employment offices should be established to serve the public beyond whatever offices already exist under the Department of Labor.
The decision is tied to actual need
The article conditions this authority on the phrase as the need arises, which means the Secretary is not simply expanding the network of employment offices without justification. New offices are meant to be organized and established in response to a demonstrated need, such as gaps in coverage in particular regions or a growing demand for employment services that existing offices cannot adequately meet, rather than as a matter of unlimited discretion detached from actual conditions.
How this power fits into a broader employment-promotion mandate
This authority sits alongside several other powers Article 14 grants the Secretary of Labor for employment promotion, including organizing a nationwide job clearance and information system, developing programs to facilitate labor mobility across occupations, industries, and locations, and requiring employment information from various persons and institutions. Establishing new employment offices is one tool among several the law gives the Secretary to build a functioning, responsive system for connecting workers with employment opportunities across the country.
What this means for someone seeking a new office in their area
If a community or region lacks convenient access to an employment office, the authority to address that gap rests with the Secretary of Labor rather than with any other government body, since Article 14 specifically empowers this office to organize new employment offices as circumstances warrant. Requests or advocacy for a new office in a particular area are therefore properly directed toward this authority, which is the one Article 14 designates to decide whether and where expansion is warranted.