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Ang Batas, Sa Simpleng Salita — your rights, finally explained.

Republic Act No. 679· Enacted 1952-04-15

Child and Women Labor Rights Philippines — BatasKo ELI5

RA 679 protects Filipino children and women from exploitative work. Know the age limits, banned jobs, and night work rules before your employer crosses the line.

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Official text — Republic Act No. 679

Jump to section ↓16 sections

Preamble

REPUBLIC ACT No. 679 April 15, 1952

AN ACT TO REGULATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN, TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION HEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

(REPEALED BY

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 442

)

SECTION 1

SECTION 1.

Employment of children below fourteen years of age.

- (a) Children below fourteen years of age may only be employed to perform light work -

(1) which is not harmful to their health or normal development, and

(2) which is not such as to prejudice their attendance in school or to benefit from the instruction there given.

(b) No child below fourteen years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work on school days in any shop, factory, commercial, industrial, or agricultural establishment or any other place of labor unless such child knows how to read and write. The fact that a child knows how to read and write shall be evidenced by an educational certificate issued by the principal of the public or private elementary school in the locality where such child resides; but in case the child cannot produce said certificate, the managing employer of the establishment concerned shall conduct an intelligence test to determine whether the child can read or write.

(c) This section shall not apply -

(1) to domestic work in a family;

(2) to employment in establishment in which only members of the employer's family are employed, except employment which is harmful, prejudicial or dangerous under other provisions of this Act;

(3) to work done vocational, technical, or professional schools, which is essentially of an educative character and is not intended for commercial profit, provided such schools are duly authorized under the law; or

(4) to employment as gymnast, acrobat, circus or show performer, or in any dancing, theatrical or musical exhibition.

Section 2

Section 2.

Employment of children below sixteen years of age.

- (a) No child under sixteen years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work -

(1) in any industrial undertaking or in any branch or division thereof, including -

(aa) mines, quarries, and other works for the extraction of minerals from the earth;

(bb) undertakings in which articles are manufactured, transformed, altered, cleaned, repaired, ornamented, finished, adapted for sale, or broken up or demolished;

(cc) undertakings engaged in shipbuilding or in the generation, transportation or transmission of electricity or motive power of any kind.

(dd) undertakings engaged in building and civil engineering works, including constructional, repair, maintenance, alteration and demolition work; and

(ee) undertakings engaged in the transport of passengers or goods by road or rail, or in the handling of goods at docks, quays, wharves, warehouses, or airports.

(2) in any shop, factory, industrial establishment or other place of labor -

(aa) as operator of elevators, motorman, or fireman;

(bb) to operate or assist in operating or to clean machinery;

(cc) to work underground or with the use of ramps or scaffoldings; or

(dd) to do any work similar to any of the foregoing.

(3) in billiard rooms, cockpits, other place where games are played with stakes of money or things worth money, or in a bar, night club, dance hall, stadium, or race track, as waiter, boxer or jockey.

Section 3 — Employment of children below eighteen years of age.→

Section 3.

Employment of children below eighteen years of age.

- (a) No woman below eighteen years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any bar, night club, or dance hall.

(b) No child below 18 years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any pharmacy for the preparation of drugs.

(c) No person below eighteen years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any shop, factory, industrial or commercial establishment or other place of labor -

(1) where the work is done in connection with the preparation or involves contamination with any noxious, poisonous, infectious or explosive substances; or

(2) where the work, not otherwise specified in this Act, involves serious danger to the life or health of the employees, as the Secretary of Labor may determine after consultation with representatives of employers and employees or organizations thereof.

For the purposes of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this section, the Secretary of Labor shall from time to time issue orders specifying the occupations which he determines would involve serious danger to the life or health of the employees and shall cause such orders to the published in newspaper of general circulation or by such other means as he deems reasonably calculated to give to interested persons general notice of such issuance. Any such order shall take effect thirty days after entry thereof.

Section 4 — Medical examination of children for fitness for employment.→

Section 4.

Medical examination of children for fitness for employment.

- (a) No person below eighteen years of age shall be admitted to employment in any shop, factory, commercial, industrial or agricultural establishment or other place of labor unless he shall have been found fit for the work on which he is to be employed by a thorough medical examination conducted without cost to such person by a qualified Government physician or by any other qualified physician approved by the Secretary of Labor. The fitness for employment shall be evidenced by a certificate of the examining physician, which may issued -

(1) subject to specified conditions of employment; or

(2) for a specified employment or group of employments involving similar risks.

(b) It shall be the duty of every employer of a person under eighteen years of age to have such person medically examined at least every six months or oftener, as the Secretary of Labor may require in exceptional cases involving high health risks, to determine the continued fitness of such person for employment. Such examination shall be without cost to the employee.

(c) The Secretary of Labor have the power, in case of occupations involving high health risks, to require medical examination and re-examination for fitness for employment until the age of twenty-one years.

(d) The Secretary of Labor shall refer to the appropriate authorities for vocational guidance and physical and vocational rehabilitation the cases of children found by medical examination to require such service.

Section 5 — Hours of works of children; night work.→

Section 5.

Hours of works of children; night work.

- (a) No child below sixteen years of age shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any shop, factory, commercial or industrial establishment or other place of labor -

(1) for more than seven daily or forty-two hour weekly; and

(2) between six o'clock in the afternoon and six o'clock in the morning of the following day.

(b) No child who has attained the age of sixteen years but is below the age of eighteen years shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any shop, factory, commercial or industrial establishment or other place of work between ten o'clock at night and six o'clock in the morning of the following day. Children employed at night under the provisions of the subsection shall be granted a rest period at least thirteen consecutive hours between two working periods.

Section 6 — Written consent of parent.→

Section 6.

Written consent of parent.

- Other provisions of this Act notwithstanding, no person below eighteen years shall be employed or permitted or suffered to work in any shop, factory, commercial or industrial establishment, or other place of work or employment without written consent of his parent, guardian or person having custody over him.

Show 9 more sections +→
Section 7 — Employment of women.→

Section 7.

Employment of women.

- (a) No women shall be employed in any shop factory, commercial or industrial establishment or other place of labor -

(1) to perform work which requires the employee to work always standing or which involves the lifting of heavy objects; or

(2) to work between ten o'clock at night and six o'clock in the morning of the following day.

An employer may be exempted from the requirement of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this section -

(1) in case of force majeure causing an interruption in the work which was not foreseen and which is not of a recurring character; or

(2) by the Secretary of Labor, if he finds, after proper investigation, that the work has to do with raw materials or materials in the course of treatment which are subject to rapid deterioration and night work is necessary to preserve such materials from loss.

(b) In any shop, factory, commercial, industrial, or agricultural establishment or other place of labor where men and women are employed, the employer shall not discriminate against any woman in respect to terms and conditions of employment on account of her sex, and shall pay equal remuneration for work of equal value for both men and women employees.

Section 8 — Maternity protection.→

Section 8.

Maternity protection.

- (a) In any shop, factory, commercial, industrial, or agricultural establishment or other place of labor, the employer shall grant to any woman employed by him who may be pregnant vacation with pay for six weeks prior to the expected date of delivery and for another eight weeks after normal delivery or miscarriage at the rate of not less than sixty per cent of her regular or average weekly wages. The employer shall have the right to require any woman applying for vacation leave with pay under this section to produce a medical certificate stating that delivery will probably take place within six weeks. The vacation shall be extended without pay on account of illness medically certified to arise out of the pregnancy of delivery or miscarriage rendering the woman unfit for work. Prolonged absence on account of illness incident to pregnancy or delivery or miscarriage shall not be a valid ground for discharge.

(b) It shall be the duty of any employer to allow any woman employed by him who is nursing a child at least one-half hour twice a day during her working hours to nurse her child.

(c) It shall be the duty of every employer having at least fifteen married women in his employ to establish an adequate nursery near the place of work where they may leave their children, said nursery to be under the supervision of either a registered or a qualified midwife.

Section 9 — Facilities for women and children.→

Section 9.

Facilities for women and children.

- (a) It shall be the duty of every employer -

(1) to provide seats proper for women and children and permit them to use such seats when they are free from work and during working hours, provided they can perform their duties in this position without detriment to efficiency; and

(2) to establish separate and suitable toilet rooms and lavatories for men and women and provide at least a dressing room for women and children.

The Secretary of Labor may exempt from the requirement of paragraph (2) of this subsection small shops which, on account of their small capital, cannot comply therewith.

(b) It shall be the duty of every employer to allow his employees not less than sixty minutes for their noon meals.

Section 10 — Special work permits; rules and regulations.→

Section 10.

Special work permits; rules and regulations.

- (a) The Secretary of Labor or his duly authorized representative shall have the power to grant a special permit for the employment of any child whose employment is otherwise prohibited in this Act, whenever in his judgment the economic necessity of the family to which such child belongs requires his assistance for increasing the family income. Such permit shall be issued under such conditions as will not prejudice the compulsory school attendance of any child under the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Education under section 1 of this Act and as may be necessary for the protection of such child.

(b) The Secretary of Labor shall have power, after consultation with representatives of employers and employees or organizations thereof, to make, amend, or rescind such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Such rules and regulations, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, may define terms used in this Act and may include terms and conditions to prevent the circumvention or evasion of the provisions of this Act. Such rules and regulations shall take effect thirty days after publication in newspapers of general circulation and by such other means as the Secretary of Labor deems reasonably calculated to give the public general notice of its issuance.

Section 11 — Enforcement of Act.→

Section 11.

Enforcement of Act.

- (a) The Director of Labor shall enforce this Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor hereunder.

(b) Every employer employing women and children shall keep a printed abstract of this Act conspicuously posted in or about the premises wherein they are employed. Every employer shall keep a list of the women and children employed by him and shall furnish the Director of Labor with copy of such list and shall also keep on file the birth certificates, educational certificates, medical certificates and special work permits pertaining to such children.

(c) The Director of Labor or his authorized representative shall have the power to enter any place of employment, during office hours where women and children are employed, to require the production of such list, birth certificates, educational certificates, medical certificates, special work permits and other pertinent books and records, to question and employee therein and make such investigation of any fact, matter or condition as may be necessary to apprehend violations of this Act or as will aid in the proper enforcement of this Act.

Section 12 — Violations and penalties.→

Section 12.

Violations and penalties.

- (a) It shall be unlawful for employer to discharge any woman employed by him who may be pregnant for the purpose of preventing such woman from enjoying the benefits of section 7 of this Act or to discharge such woman while on leave on account of her pregnancy of confinement.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any employer to discharge any woman or child employed by him for having filed a complaint under this Act or to discharge such woman and child or other employee who has given testimony or is about to give testimony under this Act.

(c) Any violation of any provision of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred pesos nor more than five thousand pesos, or by imprisonment for not less than thirty days nor more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

If the violation is committed by a firm, association or corporation, the manager or in his default, the person acting as such, shall be liable.

Section 13 — Separability.→

Section 13.

Separability.

- If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person circumstance shall be held invalid, the remainder of the Act or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby.

Section 14 — Repeal of prior inconsistent laws.→

Section 14.

Repeal of prior inconsistent laws.

- Act Numbered Thirty hundred and seventy-one, entitled "An Act to regulate the employment of women and children in shops, factories, industrial, agricultural and mercantile establishments, and other places of labor in the Philippine Islands; to provide penalties for violations hereof, and for other purposes," and such other acts as are inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed.

Section 15 — Effectivity.→

Section 15.

Effectivity.

- This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved:

April 15, 1952

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

Full text on BatasKo. Original source: Official Gazette / Lawphil.

Narinig mo na ba ang kwento ng isang batang nagtatrabaho sa isang factory habang dapat siya'y nasa klase? O ng isang babae na pinilit magtrabaho ng gabing-gabi nang walang pahinga? That's exactly what Republic Act No. 679 was designed to stop.

ELI5 Summary: RA 679 sets strict rules on when, where, and how children and women can work in the Philippines. Children below 14 can only do light work. Those under 16 are banned from factories, mines, and heavy industry. Nobody under 18 can work with toxic chemicals or in bars and nightclubs. Women cannot be required to do heavy lifting or work the graveyard shift without proper exemptions. Violating these rules is a criminal offense.

Note: RA 679 was formally repealed by Presidential Decree No. 442 (the Labor Code of the Philippines), which incorporated and expanded its protections. The core principles discussed here live on in the Labor Code and related laws like RA 9231 (Special Protection of Children Against Child Labor).

Real Filipino Scenario: Ang Part-Time Job ng Estudyante

Tomas, 17 years old, nursing student, Cebu City.

Tomas is in his second year of nursing school. Kailangan niya ng extra income para sa allowance, so a pharmacy near his school offered him a part-time job mixing and preparing prescription drugs after class — pati na rin yung overnight shifts tuwing weekends.

Here's the problem: Under Section 3(b) of RA 679, no person below 18 years of age shall work in any pharmacy for the preparation of drugs — kahit may parental consent. At under Section 5(b), workers aged 16 to 17 cannot work between 10 PM and 6 AM without violating the night work prohibition.

Tomas legally cannot take that specific job until he turns 18. The pharmacy owner could face criminal penalties for even allowing it.

What Tomas should do: Look for work that doesn't involve drug preparation — cashiering, stocking shelves, or other light commercial work. His parents should also get a copy of this law and ask the pharmacy in writing why they offered a minor a prohibited job. He can report violations to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office in Cebu.

What the Law Actually Says

RA 679 created a tiered system of protections based on age. Mas bata ang bata, mas mahigpit ang proteksyon.

Children below 14 years old (Section 1) may only perform light work — work that doesn't harm their health, doesn't interfere with school attendance, and doesn't exploit their physical limitations. They cannot work on school days in any commercial or industrial setting unless they can prove basic literacy through a certificate from their school principal.

Children below 16 years old (Section 2) are outright banned from:

  • Mines, quarries, and mineral extraction
  • Manufacturing and industrial undertakings
  • Construction, shipbuilding, and civil engineering
  • Transport of passengers or goods (including docks and airports)
  • Operating elevators, machinery, or working underground
  • Billiard rooms, cockpits, bars, nightclubs, dance halls, stadiums, and race tracks

Children below 18 years old (Section 3) cannot work:

  • In any bar, nightclub, or dance hall (also applies specifically to women under 18 — Section 3(a))
  • In pharmacy drug preparation (Section 3(b))
  • In any job involving noxious, poisonous, infectious, or explosive substances (Section 3(c)(1))
  • In occupations the Secretary of Labor has determined to pose serious danger to life or health (Section 3(c)(2))

Hours of work for minors (Section 5):

  • Under 16: maximum 7 hours daily, 42 hours weekly; no work between 6 PM and 6 AM
  • Ages 16–17: no work between 10 PM and 6 AM; must have at least 13 consecutive hours of rest between shifts

Parental consent (Section 6): Any worker under 18 in a commercial or industrial establishment requires written consent from a parent, guardian, or legal custodian — kahit anong trabaho.

Medical exam requirement (Section 4): Before hiring anyone under 18, employers must secure a fitness-for-employment certificate from a government or DOLE-approved physician — at no cost to the minor. Re-examination must happen at least every six months.

Women's protections (Section 7): Women cannot be required to work jobs that demand constant standing, heavy lifting, or night work (10 PM to 6 AM) — unless the employer secures an exemption from the Secretary of Labor under specific conditions.

What This Means for You

Simple lang ang mensahe ng batas na ito: hindi pwedeng gamitin ng employer ang katawan ng bata o babae nang walang limitasyon.

Kung ikaw ay magulang, kailangan mong lagyan ng pirmahan ang isang written consent bago payagan ang iyong anak na magtrabaho — kahit 17 na siya. Walang consent, walang legal na trabaho sa anumang commercial establishment.

Kung ikaw ay menor de edad na nagtatrabaho o naghahanap ng trabaho, alamin ang age bracket mo. Ang trabaho na okay sa 18-year-old ay maaaring bawal sa 15-year-old. Hindi excuse ng employer na "hindi nila alam."

Kung ikaw ay babae na pinipilit magtrabaho ng graveyard shift nang paulit-ulit at walang maayos na kondisyon, may karapatan kang tanggihan — at may batas kang hawak.

At kung ikaw ay employer: ang medical exam bago mag-hire ng minor ay hindi optional. Hindi ito "pag may oras lang." Ito ay legal na obligasyon mo — at ang gastos ay sa iyo, hindi sa bata.

Real Filipino Scenario: Ang "Contractual" na Clerk sa Insurance

Ivy, 17 years old, insurance agent trainee, Tagum City.

Ivy just graduated from high school and a local insurance agency offered her a "contractual" position as a documentation clerk. The job sounded simple — encoding, filing, answering phones. Her recruiter told her the parental consent form was "just a formality" they'd fill out themselves.

This is where it gets legally messy. Under Section 6 of RA 679, written parental consent is not a formality — it is a legal prerequisite. An employer who fabricates or bypasses this requirement is committing a violation, not doing Ivy a favor.

Additionally, if the agency expects Ivy to work past 10 PM (common during end-of-month reporting crunches), that violates Section 5(b)'s night work prohibition for workers aged 16–17.

What Ivy should do: Insist on a proper written consent form signed by her actual parent or guardian — not one filled out by the agency. She should keep a personal copy. If the job will involve any night shifts, she has the right to refuse them. If pressured, she can call DOLE's hotline at 1349 or visit the DOLE office in Tagum (Davao del Norte) to ask about her rights before signing any contract.

What Most Filipinos Get Wrong

"Basta may parental consent, okay na." Hindi. Parental consent is necessary but not sufficient. Even with consent, a 15-year-old cannot work in a mine, a factory floor, a cockpit, or a bar. The prohibited jobs list under Sections 2 and 3 is absolute — walang written consent na makakapag-override niyan.

"Ang batas na ito ay para lang sa malalaking kumpanya." Mali rin. The law covers shops, commercial establishments, agricultural settings — hindi lang factories. A small sari-sari store hiring a 13-year-old to work school nights is still covered.

"Ang 'light work' ay kahit anong madaling trabaho." Hindi. Light work for children under 14 must specifically not harm their health, not affect their development, and not interfere with school. "Madali" at "ligtas" ay dalawang magkaibang bagay.

"Pwede namang mag-night shift ang bata basta may pahinga." Section 5 is not about rest periods — it is a flat prohibition. Children under 16 cannot work at all between 6 PM and 6 AM. Children 16–17 cannot work between 10 PM and 6 AM, period.

"Hindi naman OA ang pagpaparusot sa employer." RA 679 carries criminal penalties — fines and imprisonment — for violations. The law treats child labor exploitation seriously, and so does the Labor Code that succeeded it.

Para sa OFW / For OFWs

Kung ikaw ay OFW at may iniwan kang menor de edad na anak sa Pilipinas na nagtatrabaho o pinaplano ng pamilya na ipagawa, may legal na proteksyon sila kahit wala ka.

Kung ang iyong anak ay pinagtatrabaho nang walang iyong written consent: Ang Section 6 ng RA 679 — at ang successor nito sa Labor Code — ay nag-iingat na ang "guardian o taong may custody" ang mag-sign ng consent. Kung wala kang naiwang Special Power of Attorney (SPA) sa isang kamag-anak, walang legal na may awtoridad mag-consent para sa trabaho ng iyong anak — hindi ang lola, hindi ang tiyahin, maliban na lang kung may dokumentong ligal.

Kung ikaw ay OFW na domestic worker o factory worker sa ibang bansa: Ang RA 679 mismo ay hindi direktang applicable sa iyong trabaho abroad — ang batas ng bansang kinatitirhan mo ang mangugulong batas. Pero ang Migrant Workers Act (RA 8042, as amended by RA 10022) at ang POEA Standard Employment Contract (SEC) ang nagbibigay sa iyo ng minimum proteksyon — kasama na ang tamang oras ng trabaho at prohibition sa hazardous work na hindi nakalagay sa iyong kontrata.

Mga ahensyang maaari mong kausapin:

  • DMW (Department of Migrant Workers) — para sa OFW labor complaints: dmw.gov.ph
  • POLO/MWO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office / Migrant Workers Office) — ang opisina sa bansang kinaroroonan mo; sila ang harapin mo kung may labor violation sa trabaho mo abroad
  • Philippine Embassy o Consulate — para sa emergency legal assistance kung hindi accessible ang POLO/MWO
  • DOLE — para sa mga usaping may kinalaman sa iyong anak o dependents na nagtatrabaho sa Pilipinas: dole.gov.ph

Kung may child labor violation sa Pilipinas na nakakaapekto sa iyong anak: Maaari kang mag-file ng complaint sa DOLE kahit nasa abroad ka — sa pamamagitan ng iyong authorized representative dito sa Pilipinas o direkta sa pamamagitan ng DOLE's online services.

Real Filipino Scenario: Ang Skilled Worker na Nagbabalik

Corazon, 42 years old, licensed welder, currently based in Adelaide, Australia.

Corazon is an OFW welder who has been working in Australia for seven years. She's planning to return to the Philippines next year and open a small welding and fabrication shop in her hometown. She wants to take on apprentices — including her 15-year-old nephew, Boyet, who shows real mechanical talent and wants to learn the trade.

This is exactly the kind of situation where well-meaning families accidentally break the law. Under Section 2 of RA 679 (and its Labor Code successor provisions), a 15-year-old cannot work in a welding operation — this falls squarely under industrial undertakings involving machinery, heat, and serious physical hazard.

Even as a family business, this prohibition applies once Boyet is formally employed or compensated.

What Corazon should do: Wait until Boyet turns 16 before any formal employment begins. If she wants to teach him the trade before then, she should do it in a structured training or apprenticeship program through TESDA — which has provisions for vocational training of minors under supervised, educative conditions. She should contact TESDA (tesda.gov.ph) to register as a training establishment and ensure the arrangement is legally covered before Boyet touches industrial equipment in a commercial context.

What to Do if Your Rights Are Violated

Ano ang Gagawin

  1. Document everything. Kumuha ng kopya ng schedule, payslip, at lahat ng komunikasyon sa employer. Kung minor ka o ang bata ay may nakitang medical issue sa trabaho, kumuha rin ng medical records.

  2. Identify the violation. Anong section ng batas ang nilabag? (Halimbawa: night work ng minor = Section 5; no parental consent = Section 6; banned job = Section 2 or 3.) Mas malinaw ang reklamo mo, mas mabilis ang aksyon.

  3. File a complaint with DOLE. Pumunta sa pinakamalapit na DOLE Regional Office o tawagan ang DOLE Hotline 1349 (libre, 24/7). Maaari ka ring mag-file online sa dole.gov.ph.

  4. For child labor cases specifically, contact the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) under DOLE, which handles child labor cases — or the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) under the Office of the President.

  5. If the child is in immediate danger (physically abused, held against will, forced to work), call the DSWD Action Line: 931 or contact the barangay for an emergency referral.

  6. Seek free legal aid if you need help drafting a formal complaint. The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) provides free legal representation to qualified individuals — pao.gov.ph.

  7. Keep copies of all filings. Huwag umasa na natatandaan ng ahensya ang lahat. Itago ang lahat ng resibo, reference numbers, at sulat.

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Legal disclaimer: BatasKo provides general legal information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a licensed Filipino lawyer or the Public Attorney's Office (PAO).

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