Article 224Jurisdiction of the Labor Arbiters and the Commission164

(a) Except as otherwise provided under this Code, the Labor Arbiters shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide, within thirty (30) calendar days after the submission of the case by the parties for decision without extension, even in the absence of stenographic notes, the following cases involving all workers, whether agricultural or non-agricultural: (1) Unfair labor practice cases; (2) Termination disputes;165 (3) If accompanied with a claim for reinstatement, those cases that workers may file involving wages, rates of pay, hours of work and other terms and conditions of employment; (4) Claims for actual, moral, exemplary and other forms of damages arising from the employer-employee relations; (5) Cases arising from any violation of Article 264 166 of this Code, including questions involving the legality of strikes and lockouts; and (6) Except claims for Employees Compensation, Social Security, Medicare167 and maternity benefits, all other claims arising from employer-employee relations, including those of persons in domestic or household service, involving an amount exceeding five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) regardless of whether accompanied with a claim for reinstatement. (b) The Commission shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all cases decided by Labor Arbiters. (c) Cases arising from the interpretation or implementation of collective bargaining agreements and those arising from the interpretation or enforcement of company personnel policies shall be disposed of by the Labor Arbiter by referring the same to the grievance As amended by Sec. 4 of R.A.

No. 9347 (2006). As amended by Sec. 9, R.A.

No. 6715 (1989). See also Sec. 1, Rule V, 2005 Rules of Procedures of the NLRC.

Art. 217 (a) (2) is qualified by Art. 261 which grants voluntary arbitrators original and exclusive jurisdiction over all unresolved grievances arising from the CBA and company personnel policies. See also Sec. 10 of R.A. No. 8042 on Money Claims. Now Article 279, as renumbered.

R.A. No. 7875, National Health Insurance Act of 1995, repealed the laws applying to the Medicare and initiated the National Health Insurance Program intending to provide health insurance coverage and health care services for all Filipinos. To carry out the program, the law also created the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, which has taken over the assets and functions of the Philippine Medical Care Commission. machinery and voluntary arbitration as may be provided in said agreements.