FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPZNES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Introduce by Senator Rsmon Bong Revillr, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In the Philippines, we celebrate the Christmas season as early as September until 
late January of the following year, with lots of food and merry making. The common 
belief is that the livelier and noisier we are during this holiday season, the luckier we will 
be as we welcome the New Year. That is why demand for firecrackers or fireworks is at 
its peak. That is why owners or producers of these pyrotechnics employ seasonal workers 
to produce a substantial level to meet the increasing demands. 
However owners or manufacturers willfully and unlawfully hired children as 
members of their labor force, without considering the risks at stake. 
Mininglquarryinp and pyrotechnics productions are identified as the two of the six 
worst forms of child labor that the Philippine Time Bound Program (PTBP) aims to 
eliminate by 2015. The other worst forms of child labor include deep-sea fishing, sugar 
cane plantation, commercial and sexual exploitation and domestic labor. 
This bill seeks to provide for stiffer penalties against acts of child labor 
particularly in its worst forms. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
, .  
i 
, j  
Introduce by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
AN ACT PROHIBITING OWNERS OF FIRECRACKER FACTORIES FROM 
EMPLOYING CHILDREN AS FIRECRACKER MANUFACTURERS, 
ASSEMBLERS OR PACKERS AND IMPOSING PENALTIES THEREOF. 
Be it enacted in the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. An Act prohibiting the employment of children as 
firecracker manufacturers, assemblers or packers. 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. Article 32(1) of the UN Convention on the 
Rights of the Child (ratified by the Philippines 00 26 July 1990) provides that "States 
parties recognize the right o f  the child to be protected from economic and exploitation 
and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the 
child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, 
moral or social development." 
Section 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall 
be defined as follows; 
a. Children - refers to a person below eighteen (1 8) years of age or one who is over 
eighteen (18) but is unable to fully take care of or protect himselfherself from 
abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination because of a physical or 
mental disability or condition. 
b. Child labor - refers to the illegal employment of the children below 5 years old or 
those below 18 years old in hazardous occupation. 
c. firecrackers - refers to a paper cylinder, triangle or whatever form enclosing an 
explosive material used to make noise which are destructive and dangerous to 
lives and properties 
Section 4. Penalties. Any person, individual or group o f  individual found guilty of 
employing children in firecracker factories is penalized by the following: 
a) 
b) 
c) 
First offense, a fine of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhplOO, 000.00) 
Second offense, a fine of Three Hundred Thousand (Php300,OOO.OO) and 
Third and succeeding offenses, a fine of Five Hundred Thousand (Php500, 
000.00) to One Million Pesos (1,000,000.00) and non-issuance of business 
permit. 
1 


Section 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within thirty (30) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Trade and Industry @TI) as the lead agency, 
together with the Department oflabor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social 
Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Interior and Local Government 
(DILG) shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of 
this Act. 
Section. 6. Separability Clause - If for any provision of this Act is held invalid, the 
other provisions of this act shall not affected shall remain in hll force and effect. 
Section 7. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or 
portion thereof inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
Section 8. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation, 
whichever comes earlier, 
Approved, 
2