Who sat on the government boards that regulated overseas Filipino worker recruitment under the Labor Code?

Composition of the Overseas Employment Development Board

The OEDB is chaired by the Secretary of Labor and Employment, with the Undersecretary of Labor as vice-chairman. Its other members are one representative each from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of National Defense, the Central Bank, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, the National Manpower and Youth Council, and the Bureau of Employment Services.

A workers' organization and an employers' organization also each get a seat, alongside the OEDB's own Executive Director, giving both sides of the labor market a voice on the board.

Composition of the National Seamen Board

The National Seamen Board follows a similar structure: the Secretary of Labor and Employment chairs it, the Undersecretary of Labor is vice-chairman, and the Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard sits as a member alongside representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, the Central Bank and the Maritime Industry Authority.

It also includes a representative of the Bureau of Employment Services, a national shipping association, and the Board's own Executive Director, reflecting its focus on seafarers rather than land-based overseas workers.

Allowances, staffing and oversight

Members of both boards receive allowances that the Board itself sets, capped by the provision at not more than P2,000.00 per month as fixed in the text. Each board is assisted by a Secretariat headed by an Executive Director, who must be a Filipino citizen with sufficient experience in manpower administration, including overseas employment activities.

That Executive Director is appointed by the President on the Secretary of Labor's recommendation and paid a salary fixed by law, while the Secretary of Labor appoints the rest of the Secretariat's staff.

Where the boards sit in government

Both boards are attached to the Department of Labor for policy and program coordination, keeping their work aligned with the department's broader labor policy rather than operating as fully independent agencies.

The Auditor General also appoints a representative to each board to audit its accounts under applicable auditing laws and regulations, adding an independent check on how the boards handle their finances.

Why board membership mattered for recruitment

The specific mix of government, financial, labor and industry representatives was meant to ensure that decisions on deploying Filipino workers overseas, whether through the OEDB or the National Seamen Board, were not made by the labor department alone. Employer and worker representation in particular gave both sides of the employment relationship a formal role in how these boards were run.

Related provisions

• Labor Code, Article 23 — Membership Of The Boards
• Labor Code, Article 22 — Mandatory Remittance Of Earnings
• Labor Code, Article 25 — Private Sector May Recruit