THE SENATE Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education and Human Resources Development have approved measures seeking the integration of labor education in the tertiary education curriculum.

The committees approved Senate Bill 1513, the substitute bill for Senate Bills 278, 1205 and 1218 taking into consideration House Bill 4466.

Under Senate Bill 1513 or the proposed Labor Education Act, all public and private higher education institutions are mandated to integrate labor education topics into selected core general education subjects.

The Technical Education, Skills and Development Authority, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, shall develop appropriate modules of instructions and other relevant materials to effectively implement the measure.

The materials should specify the labor education topics expected to hone the basic competencies crucial to empowering future workers.

The TVET curriculum shall integrate labor education topics such as labor rights and workers’ welfare; role and contribution of labor and national economy; basic income taxation; minimum labor standards on wage, overtime pay, night shift differential, holiday pay, leaves, etc.; national and global labor situation and challenges; and labor organization and political participation.