Cebu, Philippines - More than 90% of micro enterprises in Cebu province have been found compliant with labor laws following a series of technical and advisory visits (TAV) conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Vivencio Lagahid, the provincial director of DOLE-Cebu, announced on Thursday that during the third quarter TAV sessions, 805 micro businesses in the northern towns of San Remigio, Madridejos, Bantayan, Tuburan, and Danao City were assessed. Out of these, 749, or 93.05%, met the labor standards.
According to a news release by Philippines News Agency, the 56 micro establishments that did not meet the criteria admitted to paying their employees below the minimum wage. "In response, they have set forth an action plan which includes complying with the region's prescribed wages, registering under the Department of Trade and Industry's Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE), or applying for a wage exemption with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board Region (RTWPB-7)," Lagahid explained.
In the southern parts of Cebu, 91.16% of the 328 evaluated micro businesses in the towns of Alegria, Ginatilan, Balamban, and Dumanjug adhered to labor laws. The remaining 29 establishments are in the process of addressing gaps in their labor standard policies.
The TAV sessions aim to educate micro businesses, especially those employing fewer than ten workers or family-owned enterprises, on general labor standards, occupational safety, productivity schemes, child and family welfare, and other related labor programs. Under the recently issued Department Order No. 238 series of 2023, DOLE oversees the administration and enforcement of labor standards and other laws, primarily through TAVs, labor inspections, and investigations.