Section 40
Section 40 of Presidential Decree No. 1177." "Article 17. Overseas Employment Development Board. — An Overseas Employment Development Board is hereby created to undertake, in cooperation with relevant entities and agencies, a systematic program for overseas employment of Filipino workers in excess of domestic needs and to protect their rights to fair and equitable employment practices. It shall have the power and duty: To promote the overseas employment of Filipino workers through a comprehensive market promotion and development program; To secure the best possible terms and conditions of employment of Filipino contract workers on a government to government basis and to ensure compliance therewith; To recruit and place workers for overseas employment on a government-to-government arrangement and in such other sectors as policy may dictate; and To act as secretariat for the Board of Trustees of the Welfare and Training Fund for Overseas Workers. "Article 20. National Seamen Board. — (a) A National Seamen Board is hereby created which shall develop and maintain a comprehensive program for Filipino seamen employed overseas. It shall have the power and duty: To provide free placement services for seamen; To regulate and supervise the activities of agents or representatives of shipping companies in the hiring of seamen for overseas employment; and secure the best possible terms of employment for contract seamen workers and secure compliance therewith; To maintain a complete registry of all Filipino seamen. (b) The Board shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction over all matters or cases including money claims, involving employer-employee relations, arising out of or by virtue of any law or contracts involving Filipino seamen for overseas employment. The decision of the Board shall be appealable to the National Labor Relations Commission upon the same grounds provided in Article 223 hereof. The decisions of the National Labor Relations Commission shall be final and inappealable.'' "Article 35. Suspension and/or Cancellation of License or Authority. ? The Minister of Labor shall have the power to suspend or cancel any license or authority to recruit employees for overseas employment for violation of rules and regulations issued by the Minister of Labor, the Overseas Employment Development Board, and the National Seamen Board, or for violations of the provisions of this and other applicable laws, General Orders and Letters of Instructions.''