Indigent workers will have access to free legal aid under a new office established by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to expand legal services and strengthen labor justice mechanisms.

Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino announced the creation of the Labor Attorneys’ Office (LAO) through Department Order No. 258-26, signed on June 18, to provide free legal assistance to indigent and qualified workers.

“I just created a Labor Attorneys’ Office to cater to the needs of indigent workers without access to lawyers. ’Yung mga workers na may problema sa management,” Tolentino said.

Under the department order, the LAO will replace and assume the functions of the Public Assistance and Complaints Unit in assisting workers who require free legal aid in labor-related cases.

As part of its core functions, the office will establish a Legal Representation Division that will provide free legal assistance, counseling, conciliation, mediation, advisory, and referral services for workers involved in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Commission, the Single Entry Approach mechanism, voluntary arbitration, and other labor-related cases.

Meanwhile, Labor Justice Clinics will provide labor rights orientation, documentation assistance, and alternative dispute resolution services, while Legal Representation Division desks will be established in all DOLE regional offices. Mobile Labor Justice Clinics will also be deployed during job fairs and other department activities.

The department likewise plans to establish a Gig Economy Unit within the LAO to provide legal counseling, mediation assistance, and workers’ rights orientation for platform workers, delivery riders, freelancers, remote workers, and app-based service providers.

According to DOLE, the initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen labor justice mechanisms, including the planned establishment of a National Academy for Labor Justice to enhance the capabilities of labor arbitrators.

In addition, Tolentino said the department is exploring partnerships with academic institutions, including the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, to involve fourth-year law students in supervised internship programs that could support legal assistance services for workers.

To support the program’s implementation, the department directed the LAO to coordinate with labor, legal aid, and legal education institutions to support the program’s implementation.

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