DOLE to issue ‘strict’ rules on job contracts on Dec. 28 – Bello

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III is expected to release on December 28 Department Order (DO) 30, which is seen to be a strict implementation of the law on contractualization or job contracts in the country.

“We’ve chosen December 28, then the name of the Department Order is ‘DO 30’,” said Bello.

The new policy was named as such as proposed by Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod as a tribute to President Duterte.

DO 30 is set to replace the DO 18-A, or the rules implementing the Articles 106 to 109 of the Labor Code.

Labor Undersecretary Dominador Say said that the new policy would be an improvement of the DO 18-A.

“Some of the provisions of (D.O.) 18-A went beyond what is allowed by the law. The new policy will be a strict observance of the law,” Say told reporters in a previous press conference.

He said some of the provisions of the Department Order 18-A, which was implemented in the previous administration to regulate contractualization, were not in compliance with the provisions of the Labor Code.

DOLE initiated a review of D.O. 18-A after receiving complaints from stakeholders and labor groups that the order contained loopholes, which legitimized a perpetual contractual arrangement as long as contractors and subcontractors complied with some of the requirements.

Under the Labor Code, companies may only use contractual arrangemenst for positions which are seasonal or project-based in nature, and are not part of the core function of their operations.

“We will be strictly going by the law…We will not go beyond or fall below what is stipulated in the law,” Say explained.  SFM/rga