Establishing a Women and Minors Bureau in the Department of Labor

June 18, 1960

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2714

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR A BUREAU TO BE KNOWN AS WOMEN AND MINORS BUREAU ^*

SECTION 1. There is hereby created in the Department of Labor a bureau to be known as the Women and Minors Bureau. It shall be under the executive authority of a director, preferably a woman, who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments and shall receive the salary provided for under WAPCO salary range fifty-eight. The Director shall be a person who has had previous training and experience in technical and administrative fields related to labor laws affecting women and minors.

For the purposes of this Act, a "child" is any unmarried person below eighteen years of age.

SECTION 2. The Bureau shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) To enforce the Woman and Child Labor Law, Republic Act Numbered Six hundred seventy-nine, as amended, and the rules and regulations implementing the same; or any other law or laws on the same subject which may hereafter be enacted by Congress;

(b) To formulate standards and policies which shall promote the welfare of working women and children, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, secure opportunities for their profitable employment, and provide for their social, educational and cultural advancement;

(c) To conduct survey, studies or investigations and submit reports to the Secretary of Labor upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of working women and children and publish the results of the same in such manner and extent as the Secretary of Labor may prescribe;

(d) To make studies and recommendations on the employment of children in factories, shops, commercial, industrial, agricultural and other places of labor establishments;

(e) To carry on educational and informational activities and to provide technical advice on matters relating to working women and children;

( f ) To make recommendations to the Secretary of Labor with respect to the rules and regulations and interpretations relating to legislations regulating the employment of women and children, and to provide such technical assistance as may be required in the review of cases involving maternity leave and equal pay claims appealed from regional offices to the Labor Standards Commission in which the Director of Women and Minors Bureau shall be a member, together with the Director of the Bureau of Labor Standards and the other two associate commissioners;

(g) To perform such other duties regarding problems of working women and children as the Secretary of Labor may require; and

(h) To act as the government's clearing-house of all information relating to working women and children.

SECTION 3. The following divisions shall be established in the Women and Minors Bureau: a research and survey division; a standards division; an informational, service and publication division; and a field services and inspection division.

SECTION 4. Subject to the Civil Service Law and regulations, the Director shall employ technical staff and such other employees as may be necessary to perform the duties and exercise the functions of the Bureau.

SECTION 5. For the purpose of inspecting and of conducting investigations and research studies, the Director of the Women and Minors Bureau or her authorized representatives 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 lists, birth certificates, educational certificates, medical certificates, special work permits and other pertinent books and records, to question any employee therein and to make such investigations of any fact, matter or condition as may be necessary to carry out her powers and duties as specified in this law.

SECTION 6. The sum of fifty thousand pesos is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 7. The Women and Minors Division of the Bureau of Labor Standards is hereby abolished, and its functions transferred to the Women and Minors Bureau, together with the records, equipment, unexpended appropriation of that Division, all the personnel therein and such other personnel as the Secretary of Labor may direct: Provided, That no official or employee in the Women and Minors Division shall be laid off nor the salary and/or rank reduced.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 18, 1960

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 57, No. 2, p. 231 on January 9, 1961