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In Bayani City, the Public Employment Office (BPEO) signs a Placement Facilitation Agreement with NovaTech Staffing, a private IT staffing firm, to refer local graduates to software-support positions. To defray screening and orientation costs, the BPEO charges job applicants a nonrefundable ₱900 "referral processing fee" before they can be referred to NovaTech. The BPEO is funded by the city government and asserts it has authority to arrange placements under Article 16 of the Labor Code. A job seeker, Ken T. Santos, asks whether the BPEO’s actions are legally valid and what remedies he may pursue. (a)Identify the governing doctrine about the powers and limits of Public Employment Offices under Article 16 of the Labor Code, focusing on (i) whether they may collect fees from job seekers and (ii) whether they may enter into placement arrangements with private employers. (b)Distinguish whether the BPEO–NovaTech arrangement constitutes a government contract or a private contract, and discuss the government’s liability, if any, for the BPEO’s actions. (c)Apply the doctrine to Ken’s situation: is the ₱900 fee valid? Is Ken entitled to a refund or any other remedy under Philippine law?