Pursuant to the provisions of the Declared Policy of Republic Act 7922, otherwise known as the œCagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995  the following guidelines are hereby prescribed for the guidance and compliance of all locators, contractors, investors and other concerned in hiring of employees within the Zone.

ARTICLE I - PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

SECTION 1.      Title . These guidelines shall be known as CEZA ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 001 - 2000.

SECTION 2.      Statement of Policies . Pursuant to its mandate, the Authority shall actively encourage, promote, induce and accelerate sound and balanced industrial, economic and social development of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP) in order to provide jobs to the people of Cagayan Valley especially in Santa Ana, increase their productivity and their individual and family income, and thereby improve the level and quality of their living condition.

These guidelines shall layout the policies relative to the hiring of employees by investors/ locators and contractors and efficiently promote sound work and social values, competitive skills and updated knowledge.

To this end the Authority shall give priority to the residents of Santa Ana, most especially the volunteers and their immediate relatives in the hiring of employees by investors/locators/contractors or subcontractors in the Zone through the CEZA.

SECTION 3.      Applicability . These guidelines shall apply to all CSEZFP Registered Enterprises and other service contractors and subcontractors doing business with CSEZFP Enterprises, such as but not limited to construction and engineering contractors and arrastre and stevedoring firms.

SECTION 4.      Definition of Terms . For the purpose of this Administrative Order, the terms used herein shall mean as follows:

a. œRA 7922  shall refer to Republic Act No. 7922, otherwise known as the œCagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 .

b. œCEZA  shall refer to the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, a government corporate body established pursuant to RA 7922.

c. œCSEZFP  shall refer to the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport defined in Section 3 of Republic Act 7922 as a separate customs territory covering the entire area embraced by the Municipality of Santa Ana and the islands of Fuga, Barit and Mabbag in the Municipality of Aparri, all in the Province of Cagayan.

d. œInvestor/Locator  shall refer to enterprises with Provisional Certificate of Registration or Certificate of Registration as CSEZFP Enterprise.

e.  œEmployees  shall refer to persons who shall be hired to perform services to investors/locators/contractors or subcontractors for a fixed fee, and shall cover not only permanent/regular employees but contractual and daily paid workers as well.

f. œLEPO  shall refer to the designated Labor, Employment and Productivity Office which shall implement these guidelines.

ARTICLE II - PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES

SECTION 5.      Request for Recruitment Assistance To Fill-Up Job Vacancies . An investor/locator/contractor shall address a formal request to CEZA for a public announcement to be advised for certain position/s with corresponding qualification requirements to guide applicants. Pro-forma of recruitment Assistance Form is attached as Annex œA  of these guidelines.

CEZA must be prepared to immediately address the manpower requirements of the investors, locators and other contractors in order to hasten smooth commencement and operation of enterprises. To carry out this responsibility, the CEZA shall do the following:

a. to determine and maintain an inventory of skills available and profile of the manpower available in Santa Ana and nearby towns;

b. to determine manpower needs of incoming CEZA investors/locators, which can be accomplished through direct coordination with the concerned investor/locator; and

c. to conduct a manpower need survey among registered CSEZFP enterprises on a quarterly basis.

SECTION 6.      Job Vacancy Announcement. The request for job vacancy announcement as received by CEZA shall then be advertised in the bulletin board at the CEZA office and other conspicuous places such as Municipal Hall, Barangay Hall, schools and/or by means of local radio and cable TV with predetermined announcements closing date.

SECTION 7.      Submission, Acceptance and Screening of Applications. Applications shall be submitted to the designated labor, employment and productivity center of CEZA. Applications received for the vacancy shall be thoroughly screened by the Authority. Preference shall be given to the volunteers and their relatives up to fourth degree of consanguinity and to Zone residents who applied for the position opening. However, qualified non-residents are allowed to file their applications and the Authority shall endorse such applications to investors if there are no qualified freeport residents.

SECTION 8.      Investigation/Checking of Prospective Applicants . Investigation/ checking shall be strictly conducted by the Authority to ensure that the applicants passed the following basic qualifications:

a. basic qualification requirements as set by the investor/locator;

b. applicant is a volunteer, a relative of the volunteer up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or a bonafide resident of Santa Ana. If there is no one qualified from the mentioned groups, a qualified non-resident shall be considered; and

c. applicant is physically and mentally fit to work as a freeport employee.

CEZA shall coordinate with the concerned local officials and leaders, preferably the barangay captains and CEZA barangay volunteer leaders or officers to confirm that such applicants are bonafide residents of the area, volunteers or relatives of the volunteer. Tie-up with other government agencies such as Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall be done to properly check the mental and physical fitness of applicant to work as freeport employee.

SECTION 9.      Issuance/Release of Roster of Pre-qualified Applicants To Concerned and Notification of Applicants for Interview/Testing. A list of qualified applicants based on the minimum requirements set, recommended by CEZA for consideration by the requester/investor, together with the documents submitted by the applicants, shall be released to the requester. The recommendees shall be scheduled for interview by the requester/investor after proper notification is made by the Authority at the instance of the requesting investor.

SECTION 10.    Interviews and Testing of Applicants . Interviews, testing and selection of qualified personnel shall be the sole discretion of the investor/locator. CEZA, however, must ensure that the applicants pass the basic qualification requirements as set by the investor/locator, such as educational attainment, work experience, age, gender requirement, etc.

SECTION 11.    Orientation and Issuance of Identification Cards (ID) Upon Assumption of Duty . The name/s of chosen applicants coming out of the interview and testing conducted by the requesting investor shall be forwarded to CEZA. Chosen applicants shall be oriented on vision of CEZA. After the orientation, the applicants shall have their identification cards processed by CEZA upon assumption of duty for the requesting investor at a specified date.

SECTION 12.    Employee Tracking System . All investors/locators are advised to provide the Authority with a monthly report of employees ™ status, which shall include the list of hired employees and employees deleted from their currently on-board personnel to track down exact number of employees of a particular enterprise in the Zone at any given time.

CEZA shall also request investors/locators to submit a quarterly report containing an assessment of employee ™s performance. This will enable CEZA to keep a record of each employee ™s performance for tracking of blacklisted employees and training needs analysis.

SECTION 13.    Compliance with the Philippine Labor Code . CEZA shall monitor enterprises ™/contractors ™ compliance with the labor standards of the Philippines to protect the employees of the Zone. Attached as Annex œB  (available at ONAR, upon request) are the Salient Provisions of the Philippine Labor Code. CEZA shall also formulate and implement a comprehensive program to promote the welfare of the employee and provide various services for employees.

SECTION 14.    Training and Productivity Improvement . CEZA shall ensure that present and future employment requirements and standards of investors are met. The labor, employment and productivity center, in collaboration with the designated training and livelihood center of CEZA shall design and implement training and productivity improvement for employees and potential manpower for investors or CEZA may conduct joint training program with the investor.

SECTION 15.    Labor, Employment and Productivity Office. CEZA shall form a Labor, Employment and Productivity Office (LEPO) which shall implement and oversee these guidelines.

ARTICLE III - EFFECTIVITY

SECTION 16.    Effectivity . This Administrative Order shall take effect on 8 January 2000 and shall be published in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation upon signing.

(SGD.) RODOLFO O. REYES
Administrator and Chief Executive Officer