GUIDELINES FOR ACCREDITATION OF WORKER’S ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIRECT HOUSING LOAN FACILITY OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM

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