ATTY. JOSEPH TOLANG ENTERO hails from the Province of Bohol. The sixth of the nine (9) children of Valeriano Quiamjot Entero, Sr. and Dominga Dunque Tolang (deceased), he finished his elementary education at the Tocdog Elementary School, Loay, Bohol, where he graduated Valedictorian. He went to high school at the Holy Trinity Academy where he also landed at the top of the class upon his graduation in 1977.
He was admitted to the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, as a State Scholar, taking Bachelor of Arts, Major in Political Science. During his college days, he was in the Dean’s List of the College of Arts and Sciences, from where he finished his degree in 1981. After his graduation, he taught at the Holy Name University (formerly Divine Word College) in Tagbilaran. In 1982, he went back to U.P. and pursued his legal education at the College of Law. He finished law and passed the bar given in 1986. While studying at U.P., he became President of the U.P. Kadugong Bol-anon, and Grand Omicron of the U.P. Diliman Pi Omicron Fraternity. He was also an active member of the U.P. Political Science Club.
After passing the bar, he immediately went to practice his legal profession, specializing in labor law. As a labor lawyer, he has been representing the workers, either individually or collectively through their labor unions, with their grievances, complaints and cases against their employers. He assisted the workers in organizing themselves into labor unions and in securing recognition by the employers as the workers’ sole and exclusive bargaining agent for purposes of collective bargaining. He was instrumental in the formation of employees’ unions in some commercial and savings banks, local and foreign airlines, manufacturing, softdrinks and beverage companies. He once acted as Legal Counsel of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and other labor unions in San Miguel Corporation and Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils., Inc. under the umbrella organization of the Ilaw at Buklod ng Manggagawa (IBM). His practice of law widened when he also served employees and associations from the government sector such as the Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GSIS (KMG), and the DAR Employees Association (DAREA).
Atty. Entero is also a lawyer of the urban poor. He had helped the informal settlers organize themselves into Community Associations for the purpose of acquiring the land that they have been occupying for years. It was made possible when he established a foundation known as the Environmental Shelter Systems Foundation, Inc. (ESSFI), which acted as Originators of various Community Mortgaged Program (CMP) projects of the government.
In 1998, Atty Entero has honed his legal expertise by specializing as a Maritime Lawyer. He was hired as Maritime Lawyer of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF-FOC) Phils, Inc. that was fully subsidized by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), a London-based organization composed of more than 500 transport workers’ unions worldwide. As ITF Philippine Lawyer, he was tasked of providing counseling to seafarers, protecting and defending their rights under their employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements and other international conventions, treaties or agreements.
When ITF closed its Philippine office in September 2002, Atty. Entero,together with some of his colleagues at the ITF-FOC Phils., found the right opportunity of organizing the International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC) Philippines Foundation Inc., that was launched in December of the same year. He has since then served as the Vice President and Secretary-General of the said organization up to the present. An expert in maritime law, he can vividly discuss anything on various issues affecting the seafaring industry such as pre-employment controversies, problems on board, contractual rights and obligations, claims for injury and death, among others. He is also the founding Chairman of the National Union of Filipino Seafarers on Crewing Danish Ships or FILDAN.
He also serves as Resource Speaker, Lecturer or Facilitator on topics related to maritime industry in various fora. He was one of the Pioneer Members of the Philippine Navy Board of Advisers in 2009. He was also a Resource Person during 3rd International Assembly of Migrants & Refugees, held in Mexico City in November 2010, representing the seafarer sector.
As Labor and Legal Consultant, Atty. Entero is rich in legal advice, giving his opinions to employees on labor and industrial relations, labor standards and contract provisions. He assists in the formulation and proper implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements, labor contracts and other agreements that promote industrial peace and harmony, efficiency and effectiveness in the work force. He is presently the Legal Counsel of the DAR Employees Foundation, Inc., Bank of Commerce Employees Union, GSIS Family Bank Employees Union, and an active member of the Board of Trustees of the Mamamayan Tungo sa Maunlad na Pilipinas (MTM Phils.), a party-list that has recently been accredited and approved by the Commission on Elections en banc to participate in the May 2013 National and Local elections.#
