Labor cmte creates TWG to finalize proposed Local Employment Code

THE City Council committee on labor and employment chaired by Councilor Joyleen Mercedes L. Balaba created a Technical Working Group (TWG) to polish and finalize the proposed ordinance establishing the Cagayan de Oro City Local Employment Code.

According to Ms. Eileen San Juan of the Trade and Investment Promotion Center (TIPC), the proposed ordinance is an expanded localization of a national law (RA 6685), which requires private contractors in the national, provincial, cities and municipalities to hire at least 50-percent of the non-skilled and another 30-percent of the skilled labor requirement from the local residents.

“Here in our proposed ordinance, which also covers that part of labor localization, this was expanded from just contractors doing public government projects to include also some private construction projects. It states that 80 percent of non-skilled labor requirements must be from the city. However, the proposed ordinance did not define the “non-skilled” labor,” she further pointed.

Likewise taken as major concerns are the provisions cited in Section 20 of the proposed ordinance particularly the requirements for the issuance of business permits.

These and other relevant notes and remarks shall be thoroughly discussed by the TWG headed by PESO Manager Kathleen Kate Sorilla. She shall be joined by representatives from the Association of Barangay Council (ABC), City Legal Office, Trade and Investment Promotions Center (TIPC), City Council committee on labor and employment, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Philippine Business of Education (PBed).

Another round of discussion shall be scheduled as soon as the TWG submits the final draft of the ordinance.