Employment and Economic Laws
- Republic Act No. 7658 (July 26, 1993 )- An Act Prohibiting the Employment of Children below 15 years of Age in Public and Private Undertakings. Amending for this Purpose Section 12, Article VIII of R.A. 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination Act)
- Article 107 of PD 603 of 1974 Adopts the provision of Article 139 of the Labor Code: no child below 15 years of age shall be employed, except when he works directly under the sole responsibility of his parents or guardian and his employment does not in any way interfere with his/her schooling.
Health and Social Welfare Laws
- Presidential Decree No. 603 (December 10, 1974) (The Child and Youth Welfare Code) allows the employment of children aged 16 years and below only if they perform light work, which is not harmful to their safety, health or normal development, and which is not prejudicial to their studies.
- Republic Act No. 8043 (July 25, 199) – The Inter-country Adoption Act of 1995- An Act Establishing the Rules to Govern Inter-Country Adoption of Filipino Children, and for Other Purposes
- Republic Act No. 8552 (February 11, 1998) – The Domestic Adoption Act of 1998 – An Act Establishing the Rules and Policies on the Domestic Adoption of Filipino Children and For Other Purposes.
- Republic Act No. 6972 (November 23, 1990) – An Act Establishing a Day Care Center in Every Barangay, Instituting Therein a Total Development and Protection of Children Program
- Republic Act No. 679, as further amended by Presidential Decree No. 148, commonly known as the Woman and Child Labor Law, the following occupations are hereby declared hazardous to young workers, without prejudice to other occupations that may subsequently be declared as such:
Criminal Laws
- Republic Act No. 9208 (May 23, 2003) – An Act to Institute Policies to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, Establishing the Necessary Institutional Mechanisms for the Protection and Support of Trafficked Persons, Providing Penalties for its Violations, and for Other Purposes (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003)
- Republic Act No. 7610 (July 22, 1991)- An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, Providing Penalties for its Violation, and for other Purposes (known as “Special Protection of Children against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act)
- Republic Act No. 9231 (December 19, 2003) – An Act Providing for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Affording Stronger Protection, Amending for this Purpose Republic Act 7610 as Amended, Otherwise Known as the “Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act
General Purpose Laws
- Republic Act No. 8296 (July 22, 1996) – An Act Declaring Every Second Sunday of December as the National Children’s Broadcasting Day.
- Republic Act No. 6972 (July 23, 1990) – An Act Establishing A Day Care Center in Every Barangay Instituting Therein A Total Development and Protection of Children Program, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes (Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act).
- Republic Act No. 8044 (July 25, 1994) – An Act Creating the National Youth Commission, Establishing a National Comprehensive and Coordinated Program for Youth Development, Appropriating Funds Therefore, and For Other Purposes (Youth in Nation-Building Act)
Executive Orders
- Executive Order No. 233 (July 22, 1987) – Redefining the role and organizational structure and enlarging the membership of the Council for the Welfare of Children
- Executive Order No. 275 (September 14, 1995) – Creating a Committee for the Special Protection of Children from All Forms of Neglect, Abuse, Cruelty, Exploitation, Discrimination and Other Conditions Prejudicial to their Development.
- Executive Order No. 340 (February 5, 1997)- Directing National Government Agencies and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations to Provide Day-Care Services for their Employees’ Children under Five Years of Age.
- Executive Order No. 56 (November 26, 2001) – Authorizing the Ministry of Social Services and Development to Take Protective Custody of the Child Prostitutes and Sexually Exploited Children.
Presidential Memorandum and Directives
- Memorandum Order No. 71 (September 2, 2002) – Directing the Labor Secretary to take immediate and effective measures to ensure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor through the Philippine Time-Bound Program and other initiatives pursuant to the spirit of ILO Convention No. 182
- Proclamation No. 855 (January 31, 1992) – Proclaiming the adoption and implementation of the Philippine Program for Children in the 1990s.
- Proclamation No. 46 (September 16, 1992) – Re-affirming the Commitment to the Universal Child and Mother Immunization Goal by Launching the Polio Eradication Project.
- Proclamation No. 74 (October 16, 1992) – Declaring the 17th Day of October of Every Year as National Children’s Month.
- Proclamation No. 267 (September 30, 1993) – Declaring the Month of October Every Year as National Children’s Month.
- Proclamation No. 731 (February 5, 1996) – Declaring the Second Week of February of Every Year as “National Awareness Week for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation”
- Proclamation No. 759 (March 6, 1996) – Declaring the Fourth Week of March of Every Year as “Protection and Gender-Fair Treatment of the Girl-Child Week”
DOLE Issuances
- Department Order No. 46-03 (June 8, 2003) Commemorating June 12 of every year as the “World Day Against Child Labor”, pursuant to mandate of the International Labor Organization (ILO)
- Administrative order No. 47 (February 18, 1997) – Directing its labour inspectors to give priority to the inspection of establishments employing child labour and women workers, security agencies, construction, shipping sectors and other establishments classified as hazardous or high risk
- Department Order No. 65 (July 26, 2004) – Rules and Regulations Implementing RA. No. 9231 which provides for the elimination of the worst forms of Child Labor, among others.
- Department Order No. 33-02 (December 12, 2002) – Guidelines and operational procedures on the Master Listing of Child Laborers.
- Department Order No. 4, (1999) Hazardous Work and Activities of persons below 18 years of age, Series of 1999) that reiterates the prohibitions and exceptions to employment of children below 15 years of age and 18 years in hazardous or deleterious work.
Local Government Units Issuances
- Executive Order No. 016-2006 (September 8, 2006) – An Executive Order creating Task Force Ligtas Nene
- Resolution No. 2006-072, Murcia, Negros Occidental (May 23, 2006) – Resolution Creating an AD HOC Committee forthe Protection of the Rights and Welfare of the Children in Murcia and providing for its Composition.
- Memorandum Circular No. 2005-07 (February 9, 2005)- Guidelines on Monitoring the Functionality of the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) at All Levels and for other purposes
- Memorandum Circular 2005-026 (March 14, 2005) – Strict Implementation of Republic Act No. 9208, An Act to Institute Policies to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children.
- Memorandum Circular No. 2002-121
- Memorandum Circular No. 91-57 (xx) – on BCPC
National Plans or Framework Protection for Children
