The Cebu City Council approved an ordinance that would require contractors to hire qualified citizens in the barangay where their project is being implemented.
The ordinance applies to contractors and subcontractors working on both government and private projects worth at least P10 million within the city.
“In summary, the ordinance aims to ensure that the construction boom benefits the communities within the immediate vicinity of the site by generating employment opportunities to the residents,” said Councilor Alvin Dizon who authored the ordinance with Councilor Nestor Archival Sr.
Under the ordinance, contractors must hire at least 20 percent of their unskilled or semi-skilled labor and at least 10 percent of their skilled labor requirements for every project from the barangay where the project is located.
Before they are issued a building permit by the Office of the Building Official (OBO), contractors must first secure a certification from the barangay chairman of compliance with the labor force requirements.
Quality of life
If projects cover two or more barangays, the contractor has the option to hire workers in any or all of the included barangays.
If it falls in areas with no barangay jurisdiction like the North Reclamation Area (NRA) or the South Road Properties (SRP), they can hire from any of the city’s 80 barangays.
“I hope that this ordinance will pave the way for people to have jobs so that they can have the means to have a better quality of life. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislative measure. Let this ordinance be our humble Valentine’s Day gift to the Cebuano work force,” Dizon said in his sponsorship speech.
He cited the National Economic Development Authority in Central Visayas (NEDA-7) which stated that the construction boom will last until 2020.
Assess
Dizon said data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2013 stated that underemployment in region 7 rose to 13.6 percent from 12.2 percent the year before.
Qualified barangay residents are those certified by barangay officials.
Contractors are given the chance to assess and choose the barangay workers they’ll hire as well as to what duties and responsibilities they’ll be given.
Contractors who violate the provisions of the ordinance will be penalized with a fine of P5,000 or imprisonment of one to 30 days or both at the court’s discretion, Dizon said.
After the mayor signs the ordinance and it has been published, contractors are given a transitory period of six months to comply with the ordinance.
Among the projects excluded by the ordinance are those that are scientific and highly-technical in nature, defense and military installations and those undertaken by the engineering battalions of the Armed Forces.
Also excluded are repairs for simple maintenance or projects with a total cost of less than P10 million.
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