The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) started as a small bureau in 1908. It became a department on December 8, 1933 with the passage of Act 4121. The DOLE is the national government agency mandated to formulate and implement policies and programs, and serve as the policy-advisory arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment.

On December 8, 1933, the Bureau of Labor was constituted as a Department by virtue of Republic Act 4121. Since then, it has continuously evolved its thrusts and strategies to respond to emerging socio-political and economic challenges while keeping as primary concern the protection and promotion of the welfare of local and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Today, the DOLE is the national government agency mandated to formulate policies, implement programs and serve as the policy-coordinating arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment.

It serves more than 40 million workers comprising the country’s labor force, covering those in the formal and informal economies, private and public. On top of this, the DOLE clients also include workers’ organizations, employers and/or employers’ groups, non-government organizations (NGOs), and other government agencies, the academe, other stakeholders, international organizations (e.g., ILO, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF), and the international community including the host countries of our OFWs.

To carry out its mandate, the DOLE has 16 regional offices, 83 Field Offices with four (4) Satellite Offices, 38 overseas posts, 6 bureaus, 7 staff services and 11 agencies attached to it for policy and program supervision and/or coordination. It has a total manpower complement of 9,120. For 2013, the DOLE has a total budget of P8.083 Billion.

Website Here : www.dole.gov.ph