DOLE issues guidelines to address Hotline 8888 complaints, requests for assistance

MANILA, June 20 (PIA)--The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued DOLE’s operational guidelines and procedures on complaints and requests for assistance referred to the Department through the 8888 Citizen’s Complaint Hotline.

Labor & Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III under Administrative Order No. 238, Series of 2017,  ordered the creation of the DOLE 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Action Team to ensure prompt action on complaints and requests for assistance, to help identify areas for improvement and intervention, and ultimately, to help improve the Department’s services and programs. 

Headed by Assistant Secretary Federico V. Abuan, Jr., the DOLE’s action team is composed of Director Violeta N. Muñoz of the Human Resource Development Service (HRDS) and Atty. Lovely Aissa B. Velayo of the Legal Service as alternate heads; and Aurea B. Espinosa and Jesurella C. Giray of the HRDS as technical officers.

The DOLE 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Action Team is tasked to make sound and responsive decisions on feedbacks and requests for assistance received through the 8888 hotline for reportorial to the Secretary, and refer them to concerned offices or attached agencies.

It shall evaluate and analyze the nature of complaint and adopt or institute appropriate interventions and remedies that may help improve current systems and procedures.

The action team is also tasked to follow-up and strictly monitor the actions taken or interventions done by heads of concerned offices or attached agencies.

They may recommend appropriate actions to the Secretary on officials or employees who wilfully and unreasonably delay or disregard action on 8888 complaints or requests for assistance referred to them. 

The action team shall also monitor and consolidate monthly reports submitted by concerned offices as well as other pertinent documents that may be required by the Office of the Secretary to the Cabinet, Office of the President.

As to DOLE regional offices, the regional director shall serve as the focal person; the assistant regional director as alternate focal person; and technical staff as technical officers.

Meanwhile, in DOLE attached agencies, the official next in rank to the head of the agency shall serve as the focal person, the official at the director level position as alternate focal person, and the technical staff as technical officers.

The focal persons of DOLE regional offices and attached agencies are tasked to ensure prompt and responsive action to concerned clients on feedbacks or requests for assistance from 8888 hotline indorsed to the respective offices or attached agencies; see to it that actions taken or interventions extended are specific and directly answer the feedbacks or requests for assistance of concerned clients; and maintain records for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Established through Executive Order No. 6 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte, the institutionalization of the 8888 Citizen’s Complaint Hotline and establishment of the 8888 Citizen’s Complaint Center, serve as mechanisms where citizens may report their complaints and grievances on acts of red tape, as defined under RA 9485 and other relevant laws and/or corruption of any national government agency, government-owned or -controlled corporation, government financial institution, and other instrumentalities of the government. (DOLE/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)