SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
2829 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
PERMITTING CERTAIN MINORS TO WORK AS VOLUNTEERS FOR 
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CONSTRUCTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 13, Section 9 provides: 
The State shall, by law, and for the common good, undertake, in 
cooperation with the private sector, a continuing program of urban land 
reform and housing which will make available at affordable cost, decent 
housing and basic services to under-privileged and homeless citizens in 
urban centers and resettlement areas. It shall also promote adequate 
employment opportunities to such citizens. In the implementation of such 
program the State shall respect the rights of small property owners. 
This bill aims to strengthen the support base of nonprofit organizations which are 
building homes for the less fortunate. It will also give minors, not only the technical 
construction skills that building homes may bring, but also the uplifting moral value of 
working for social causes.! 
I This bill was originally filed during the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session. 
1 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 
2829 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
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PERMITTING CERTAIN MINORS TO WORK AS VOLUNTEERS FOR 
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CONSTRUCTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Minors Aged Fourteen to Seventeen Permitted to Work as Volunteers 
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for Nonprofit Organizations Constructing Affordable Housing; Prohibited Acts. -
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Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule, or regulation, minors who are between 
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the ages of fourteen and seventeen shall be permitted to work as volunteers for nonprofit 
5 
organizations engaged in the construction of affordable housing as determined by the 
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Secretary of Labor and Employment subject to the following provisions: 
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A. That under no circumstances shall a minor be permitted to work in a project 
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involving the construction of affordable housing that is in any way associated with a 
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profit making commercial enterprise; 
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B. That no minor shall operate, perform maintenance, clean, inspect, work in, 
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about, or in connection with any power driven machinery involved in the construction of 
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affordable housing; 
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C. That no minor shall engage in the construction of affordable housing without 
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the safety equipment required by law; 
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D. That no minor shall be permitted to work as a volunteer in the construction of 
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affordable housing except under the direct supervision of an adult; 
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E. That no minor shall be exposed to hazardous waste products or other hazardous 
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substances; 
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F. That no minor shall be permitted to work on any excavation, scaffolding or 
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roofing; and 
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G. That no minor shall be permitted to work: 
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(1) During school hours; 
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(2) Before seven o'clock in the morning; 
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(3) After seven o'clock in the evening; 
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(4) For more than five consecutive hours without a half-hour break; and 
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(5) For more than eighteen hours per week when school is in session. 
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SECTION 2. Insurance. - The nonprofit organization engaged in the construction 
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of affordable housing shall secure liability insurance to provide compensation for all 
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injuries, including, but not limited to, occupational illness, sustained by minors working 
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voluntarily in the construction of affordable housing. 
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SECTION 3. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
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provisions hereof. 
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SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or 
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portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
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its pUblication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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