DOLE invited to city’s labor measure hearing

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Council has invited the Department of Labor and Employment-7 to a public hearing to know the legal basis of the proposed ordinance obliging all project contractors to include unskilled or semi-skilled employees in their work force.

The measure of City Councilor Alvin Dizon seeks to require private contractors and/or subcontractors to whom public works projects have been awarded to hire at least 20 percent of unskilled/semi-skilled labor and at least 10 percent of the skilled labor requirements for every project to be taken from the available bona fide qualified residents in the barangay wherein the projects are to be undertaken.

The council has also invited private contractors and other concerned parties during the public hearing set on September 17.

Dizon, council committee vice chairman on labor and employment, said the proposed measure would increase employment opportunities among residents in the city.

“Unemployment remains to be one of the critical challenges of the country and local government must strive to help lower unemployment rates in their respective areas because when people have jobs, they have the means to live better lives,” he said.

He cited the National Statistics Office report stating that unemployment in Central Visayas significantly decreased by 1.6 percent as of December 2013 but underemployment in the region increased from 12.2 percent to 13.6 percent.

He also cited the Regional Economic Situationer of the National Economic Development Authority-7 that said construction industry in Cebu is “booming” since 2011, with “over 30 planned medium-and high-rise buildings set to be built between 2011 to 2015.

“In 2013, the country’s construction sector posted an all-time high performance with Cebu identified as one of the highest performers and as per NEDA data, around 4,891 new construction projects were approved in the first semester of 2013 valued at P7.83 billion, and the construction boom is expected until 2020,” he said.

Dizon has proposed a penalty of non-approval of building permit application by the city Office of the Building Official. (FREEMAN)