I.          COVERAGE AND DEFINITIONS

These guidelines shall apply to workers' organizations seeking accreditation from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the purpose of assisting in the implementation of the direct housing loan facility of the Social Security System (SSS).

For purposes of these guidelines, the following definitions are hereby adopted:

A.        "Direct housing loan facility" refers to the facility established pursuant to Social Security Commission (SSC) Resolution 269 dated 05 April 2000 and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated 1 May 2000, entered into by and between the SSS, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC), and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP). The SSC Resolution and the MOA are deemed incorporated as integral parts of these guidelines.

B.        "Workers' organization" refers to any association of workers in the private sector or of overseas Filipino workers duly registered with the DOLE, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). It shall include any trade union center, federation, national union, local/chapter or independent union as defined in Book V of the Labor Code and its implementing rules, or any other association of workers which exists in whole or in part for collective bargaining or for the mutual aid and protection of its members.

C.        "Accredited workers' organization" refers to any workers' organization certified by the DOLE, pursuant to these guidelines, to assist in the implementation of the direct housing loan facility through the following:

1)      Screening and qualification of loan applicants, including credit investigation and documentation;

2)      Monitoring of loan accounts and collection of loans; and

3)      Promoting availment by qualified workers of the direct housing loan facility, either on its own or in partnership with the DOLE through existing DOLE programs.

II.         PROCEDURE AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION

A. Where to file. The application for accreditation shall be filed with the DOLE's Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) or any of the DOLE's Regional Offices. Where the application is filed with any of the Regional Offices, the same shall be immediately endorsed to the BLR. Processing of the application shall be done by the BLR with assistance where appropriate, by the Regional Offices.

B. Documentary requirements. A workers organization may be accredited to assist in the direct housing loan facility upon compliance with the following requirements:

1)         It must have legal personality as evidenced by a certified true copy of its certificate of registration issued by the DOLE, SEC or CDA, which shall be attached to its application for accreditation;

2)         It must state in its application, which shall be verified by its appropriate officer, that it has no pending case involving revocation of its registration or any case involving money matters of which the organization is a defendant, and that it is an organization in good standing. An organization in good standing means that the organization is presently complying with the reporting requirements of the DOLE, SEC or CDA, as the case may be, and

3)         It must have verifiable or adequate in-house experience, capacity, or preparation in undertaking housing programs, as evidenced by its duly audited financial statements, track or training record, or ocular inspection report by an appropriate DOLE officer, as the case may be.

C. Action on the application. Upon compliance with the foregoing requirements, the DOLE Secretary shall issue a certificate of accreditation in favor of the applicant worker's organization.

III.        UPDATING AND MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS

A workers' organization accredited under these guidelines shall update the DOLE, through the BLR, of any changes in its executive officers, board of directors and business address. It shall likewise maintain updated records, which shall be made accessible to its members and the DOLE, on the following:

A.        Workers-beneficiaries it has assisted in availing of the direct housing loan facility.

B.        On-going and completed projects;

C.        Books of accounts, financial statements and other relevant records pertaining to activities undertaken pursuant to the direct housing loan facility.

The DOLE, through the BLR, shall keep a registry of accredited worker's organizations and shall ensure that only those actively engaged in undertaking the activities enumerated under I.C. shall remain in such registry.

IV.       EFFECTIVITY

These guidelines shall take effect fifteen (15) days upon its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Adopted: 30 June 2000

(SGD.) BIENVENIDO E. LAGUESMA
Secretary