As enshrined in the eighth of the 10-point Basic Education Agenda of the Secretary, one of the priorities of the Department of Education (DepEd) is to promote the enhanced welfare and well-being of the academic and nonacademic personnel of the Department. In addition to this, DepEd sees the relevant contributions that employees’ associations, organizations and cooperatives can provide to support priority programs and initiatives of the Department.

Pursuant to the 1987 Constitution, the State shall protect the rights of workers and promotion of their welfare. Alongside is the right of all workers to selforganization, collective bargaining and negotiations, and peaceful concerted activities, including the right to strike in accordance with law.

Further expanded in Executive Order No. 180, Providing Guidelines for the Exercise of the Right to Organize of Government Employees, Creating a Public Sector Labor-Management Council, and for Other Purposes, signed on June 1, 1987. The issuance seeks to promote free and responsible exercise of the right to organize by all employees in national government agencies.

The Department, in upholding the rights and promoting the welfare of workers, issued Office Order OO-OSEC-2018-21 titled Creation of Interim DepEd Employees’ Associations Coordinating Office (DEACO) with the main mandate of serving as focal point for the DepEd Central Office in coordinating and monitoring the various employee groups in the Department.

The Department fully recognizes the rights of workers and take proactive measure to uphold not only the right of the workers to self-organization, but also promotes their welfare in the context of participating in policy and decision-making processes affecting their rights and benefits as may be provided by law.

DEACO shall facilitate coordination with employees groups and associations in promoting shared responsibility between employees and the Department in ensuring the mutual benefits and compliance to foster industrial peace.

Hence, the Department regularizes the office of DepEd Employees’ Associations Coordinating Office (please refer to the enclosure) to continuously work with employees group and the Department in ensuring that the rights of the workers and their welfare are protected and upheld.

All DepEd Orders and other related issuances, rules and regulations, and provisions which are inconsistent with these guidelines are repealed, rescinded, or modified accordingly.

For more information, please contact the DepEd Employees’ Associations Coordinating Office through email at deaco@deped.gov.ph and telephone number (02) 8635-2456 or through the Office of the Undersecretary for Field Operations, Palarong Pambansa Secretariat, DEACO, and CPU through email at oure@deped.gov.ph and telephone number (02) 3631-8492.

This DepEd Order shall take effect immediately upon its approval and posting on the DepEd website. Furthermore, it shall be registered with the University of the Philippines Law Center-Office of the National Administrative Register (UPLC-ONAR), UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

Table of Contents

CREATION OF THE DEPED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATIONS COORDINATING OFFICE (DEACO) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Pursuant to the 1986 Constitution, the State guarantees the protection of the rights of workers and the promotion of their welfare (Article II, Sec. 18). More specifically, the state guarantees the rights of all workers to self-organization (Article XIII, Sec. 3).

Furthermore, the State provides for the participation of workers in the policy and decision-making process affecting their rights and benefits as may be provided by law (Article XIII, Sec. 3).

Further expanded through Executed Order No. 180, “Providing Guidelines for the Exercise of the Right to Organize of Government Employees, Creating a Public Sector Labor-Management Council, and for other purposes” signed on June 1, 1987, and the “Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exercise of the Right of Government Employees to Organize” through the Civil Service Commission (CSC) which was signed on September 28, 2004.

The Department of Education recognizes the importance of employees’ associations and their potential to become capable partners in protection of rights and ensuring the welfare of the teaching and non-teaching personnel within the Department. Consequently, the Department of Education created the Interim DepEd Employees’ Associations Coordinating Office (Interim DEACO) through Office of the Secretary Office Order no. 21, s. 2018 which serves as focal point for the DepEd Central Office in coordinating and monitoring various employees’ associations and groups in the Department.

Interim DEACO under the supervision of the Undersecretary for Field Operations, has sufficiently demonstrated the capacity to serve as conduit between the employees’ associations and the Department. The Office has contributed to improving Department Organizations relations through regular monitoring and coordination, development of policy standards for the affairs and conduct of employees’ associations, development and conduct of capacity-building initiatives for associations and their members, and enabling linkages between the DepEd Offices and employees’ associations in contributing to priority programs.

Realization of this policy will serve as the foundation for the continuous improvement of cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder alliances that have the immense potential to enhance the delivery of high-quality educational services.

Thus, to ensure continuity of service and to further strengthen the coordination and partnership between the various employees’ associations and unions and the Department, the Department adopts this policy.

SCOPE

This DepEd Order covers the creation of the DepEd Employees’ Associations Coordinating Office (DEACO) as a permanent office under the supervision of the Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD). It lays down the mandate, functions, and organizational structure of the office. It also identifies offices at all governance levels that shall participate in carrying out the stated duties and responsibilities.

POLICY STATEMENT

To ensure the improvement of employees’ welfare through strong and productive Department-organization relations, the DepEd hereby established the DepEd Employees’ Associations Coordinating Office (DEACO) as a permanent office in the Department of Education. The Office shall be the focal point in coordinating and monitoring the various teaching and non-teaching employees’ associations, professional and job group organizations, cooperatives, and unions within the Department of Education.

FRAMEWORK/PROCEDURES/STANDARDS

The DEACO, as the conduit between the Department and the various employees’ groups and associations, shall perform the following functions:

a. Recognize, coordinate, and monitor existing employees’ groups and associations;

b. Develop and enforce policy standards and protocols for the affairs of DepEd employees’ groups and associations;

c. Coordinate with the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD) and other relevant offices for the purposes of promoting department-organization relations, capacity-building and organizational development, and strengthening cooperation and solidarity among employees’ groups and associations so that they can positively contribute to welfare and development of employees and the priority programs of the Department.

d. Coordinate with the Legal Service and other relevant offices in ensuring that employees’ concerns and grievances raised by DepEd-recognized employees’ groups and associations are addressed, following the appropriate channels and guidelines of the Department, and existing provision in the collective negotiation agreements (CNA) of accredited employees’ unions;

e. Provide avenues and mechanisms where employees’ groups and associations can give feedback and input that can aid in the policy and decision-making processes relevant to the affairs of employees’ associations;

f. Provide technical support to the programs and initiatives of the Department that cater to the concerns of DepEd employees through the network of DepEd employees’ groups and associations under their jurisdiction;

The DEACO shall be under the leadership and supervision of the Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development. The office shall be established at the DepEd Central Office. Subsequently, DEACO counterparts at other governance levels may be organized or designated, upon issuance of a Department Order for this purpose. In the interim, the Human Resources Development Division (HRD) in the Regional Offices and the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) will serve as the DEACO counterpart at the regional level and division level respectively.

For continuity in the performance of the office functions, the Department shall utilize the existing personnel under the Interim DEACO. Additionally, the Department may also engage the services of consultants and technical assistants on a contractual basis or under other arrangements, in accordance with applicable laws and rules.

The estimated annual Personnel Service (PS) Requirement for creating contractual positions in the DEACO for its operations during fiscal year (FY) 2023 shall be charged against the available released PS allotment of the Department. In case of PS deficiency, the DepEd may submit a request to the DBM for modification of its allotment under Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses to PS, as applicable, and/or the release of funds for the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund under the FY 2023 General Appropriations Act, subject to the existing budgeting, auditing, and accounting rules and regulations.

The expenses to be incurred in creating the DEACO and its operations, including but not limited to transportation, communication, and supplies, shall be charged against the General Administrative Support Services funds of the Department, subject to the existing budgeting, auditing, and accounting rules and regulations.

For the succeeding years, the funding for the PS requirement and operations of the DEACO shall be automatically included in the annual budget appropriations of the Department.

The Bureau of Human Resources and Organizational Development shall process the application for plantilla positions in the DEACO, subject to the rationalization plan of the Department and the existing organization, staffing, position classification, and compensation rules and regulation and Civil Service Commission guidelines.

REPEALING CLAUSES

All prior Department Orders or other issuances, or provisions thereof, which are inconsistent with this Department Order are hereby repealed, revised, or modified accordingly

EFFECTIVITY

This Department Order shall take effect immediately upon approval and posting on the DepEd website. Furthermore, it shall be registered with the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR), University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The DEACO shall continuously gather feedback on the implementation of this DepEd Order from all concerned internal and external stakeholders at the national level. HRDD in the Regional Offices and SGOD in the Division Offices, as the DEACO interim counterpart at the regional level and division level respectively, shall do the same. The DEACO shall conduct a periodic review every three years of this policy to further enhance its provisions and effectiveness.

REFERENCES

1987 Philippine Constitution
Executive Order No. 180 (Providing Guidelines for The Exercise of the Right to Organize of Government Employees, Creating A Public Sector Labor-Management Council, And for Other Purposes)