Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has signed three ordinances to boost efforts to reduce child labor and incentivize businesses in the city that provide support to different programs of the local government.

Belmonte said that 5,449 male and 4,773 female children were reported as victims of child labor in the city as of the last quarter of 2022.

With this, the mayor inked City Ordinance No. SP-3201, S-2023, and Ordinance No. SP-3214, 2-2023, both introduced by Councilor Edgar “Egay” Yap, to prevent and eliminate all forms of child labor and create a program where different departments and agencies will monitor the implementation of child labor initiatives.

“Sa tulong ng dalawang Ordinansang ito, mapapaigting pa natin ang laban kontra child labor na matagal na nating nais tuldukan dito sa Quezon City (With the help of these two Ordinances, we will be able to intensify our fight against child labor that we have long wanted to end here in Quezon City),” she said.

The local government said that Ordinance No. SP-3214, S-2023 is aligned with the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) and aims to provide social protection for the victims and their families.

PPACL is a nationwide program for the prevention and elimination of child labor in the country to protect minors from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and other forms of abuse that may affect their development

Under this ordinance, children below 15 years old should not be employed, except in cases where the child works under the sole responsibility of his or her parents or legal guardians and where only members of his or her family are employed.

The city government said that children will also be permitted to work if their employment or participation in public entertainment or information through cinema, theater, radio, television, media, and other platforms is essential.

It added that an employer must secure a work permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure that requirements will be followed before engaging the child to work.

Through the ordinance, the QC-Public Employment Services Office (QC-PESO), in coordination with the DOLE-QC Field Office and the Social Services Development Department (SSDD), is mandated to formulate local action plans, policies, and programs in order to provide livelihood assistance and employment opportunities for parents and family members of child laborers.

The local government said that establishments or individuals caught violating the ordinance will be punished with suspension or revocation of permits, fines, and jail terms, depending on the gravity of the violation.

Meanwhile, Ordinance No. SP-3201, S-2023 creates QC-PESO’s Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP) that will coordinate and oversee the implementation of the PPACL by concerned agencies, departments, and organizations, barangays and relevant stakeholders.

The city government said the CLPEP is also tasked to coordinate and conduct advocacy campaigns and disseminate information on child labor, develop and maintain a knowledge and data management system on child labor, and ensure the conduct of research, studies, surveys, and assessments on child labor for policy and program development and enhancement, among others.

Belmonte also signed City Ordinance SP-3213, S-2023, which will provide incentives to private entities supporting the priority programs of the city government.

"With this ordinance, we hope to strengthen our partnership with the private sector in uplifting the lives of our residents by providing them quality social services and programs, and at the same time foster a healthy business climate in QC," Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

Through the ordinance introduced by District 3 Councilor Wency Lagumbay, the city government will issue a tax credit certificate to private donors that they can apply to their business tax dues at the discretion of the City Treasurer.

The city government said that the tax credit certificate will be issued to businesses that donated certain assets or services in the following manner: brand new assets or services to be valued at the rate of no more than 90 percent of the prevailing market price, or used assets in good working condition and not more than three years old, to be valued at the rate of no more than 90 percent of its depreciated remaining worth.

It added that tax incentives will only be provided if the donated assets or services are in line with the city's priority programs and by reasonable accounting and appraisal methods such as the Manufacturer's Recommended Selling Price (MRSP), and the price indexes of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and/ or Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

It also said that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the ordinance is currently being drafted by the City Treasurer’s Office to ensure its efficient and effective implementation.

"We have been working hand-in-hand with businesses for years now. This ordinance is one of the city's ways to recognize and commend them for helping and supporting the city attain its targets and priorities for QCitizens," Belmonte said.