Mr. Reinerio A. Alba, Chief Labor and Employment Officer, together with Mr. Renz J. Nucup, Acting Supervising Labor and Employment Officer of the IT/Advocacy and Publications Division (APD) of the Institute, spearheaded the discussion on the topic: “Preparing Workplaces for Digital Transformation” in a capacity building of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) held on September 4 to 6, at the B Hotel in Quezon City.

During the presentation, Alba highlighted some key points including the role of information technology in the performance of the main mandate of ILS for contributing to effective labor and employment policy and decision-making through relevant, responsive, and high-quality policy researches and technical assistance.

“Most of our services are focused on research, and the role of our IT unit is to help researchers perform their jobs more efficiently and productively,” Alba said.

On the topic of digital transformation in the workplace, Nucup, Information Systems Analyst III of ILS, emphasized that digitalization comes with digital technologies and digitized data toward improving business processes.

The presentations highlighted how the current digital processes and systems in the ILS were conceived during the pandemic. Confronted with mobility challenges due to the lockdown, ILS adapted to the situation through upgrades in technology. ILS’s internal IT tools now include Online scheduling, Online routing and signing of documents, online collaboration, IT Helpdesk, remote support, task scheduling and remote surveillance. ILS strives to sustain the upgrades, to meet new challenges such as data privacy, easing transactions and increasing productivity. Server virtualization and human resource management information system (HRMIS) are upcoming additions to ILS’s IT systems.

The ILS, as a policy research and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment, undertake digitalization efforts to help achieve promoting and achieving decent work, social justice, and industrial peace through more efficient services.