The IS comprises a major portion of the country's labor force and is recognized as major contributor to the economy. Over the years, however, the informal sector has constantly been confronted with issues. In 2001, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through, its program entitled "Support for Policy and Programme Development" (SPPD), identified strategic issues confronting the IS. These are the: (a) invisibility of the IS in government statistics and representation in policy-making bodies; (b) lack of access to health and other social protection interventions; (c) lack of access to productive resources; and (d) the need to be organized.
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15 Informal sector refers to unincorporated household enterprises, consisting of both informal own-account and enterprises of informal employers (NSCB, 2002).