MARAWI CITY—The Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) started Thursday, Nov. 11, the public consultation dialogue for the proposed Bangsamoro Labor Code (BLC) with several public and private sectors employees from Marawi City and Lanao del Sur.
The BLC seeks to “afford protection to labor, promote employment and human resource development, and insure industrial peace based on social justice.” It is one of the legislative agenda of interim BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim.
MOLE Minister and Member of Parliament Romeo Sema, who is also the chair of the Cabinet committee tasked to draft the BLC, said it is the commitment of ministry to continuously provide and promote gainful, inclusive, and genuinely equal employment opportunities for every Bangsamoro.
“A labor code is vital for the region’s economic and social welfare. Even national organizations and international entities, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), committed themselves in supporting this labor code,” Sema said.
“It is a very significant and important code because in the law R.A.11054 (Bangsamoro Organic Law), we are mandated to protect the labor and employment in the region. Since we are in an autonomous government, dapat mayroon tayong labor code,” he added.
Some lawyers of the members of the Bangsamoro Parliament presented the salient features of the draft code, which included the pre-employment conditions of employment, wages, income and productivity, occupational health and safety, recruitment and accreditation, migration, training and employment of special workers, and others.
MOLE will also conduct similar consultation for Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and BARMM Special Geographic Area on Nov. 15, and on Nov. 18 for Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi to be held in Zamboanga City.
The consolidated suggestions and recommendations from the consultation participants will serve as guidelines for the final drafting of the code on December 6, 2021. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
