DOLE Reviews Guidelines on Hazardous Work for Minors

The Department of Labor and Employment in Region 6 held a regional consultation and workshop on May 30, 2025, in Iloilo City to review Department Order 149, Series of 2016.

The order, known as the “Guidelines in Assessing and Determining Hazardous Work in the Employment of Persons Below 18 Years of Age,” outlines prohibited labor practices involving minors.

Under Presidential Decree 442, or the Labor Code of the Philippines, minors are barred from working in environments harmful to their health, safety or development.

Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr. led the consultation, which included representatives from the National Council Against Child Labor, local government units, civil society organizations and the Technical Working Group.

The primary focus was to assess the current list of hazardous jobs for minors and update policies to reflect new labor conditions.

“This collaborative effort shows our commitment to protecting children from harmful labor,” said Rodriguez.

“We value the participation of all stakeholders in shaping child-sensitive policies.”

Department Order 149 is anchored in Republic Act 9231, or the Anti-Child Labor Law, which amends Republic Act 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

These laws form the legal basis for protecting working children and eliminating child labor in the Philippines.

Insights from the consultation will guide the drafting of an updated version of the order.

The revised order will be a key tool in the government’s ongoing effort to combat child labor in hazardous sectors.

Together with the Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program, the order mandates DOLE to advocate for the removal and prevention of child labor.