House approves bill on Labor Code curriculum

THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to integrate the study of the Labor Code in college to prepare students for uture work.

House Bill (HB) 4210, or the proposed Labor Education Act of 2011, requires the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to include labor education in social science subjects.

“It is imperative that college students who will eventually join the labor force as workers and employees have knowledge about labor rights, worker welfare and benefits, core labor standards, labor laws and regulations,” Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) party-list Rep. Raymond D. Mendoza, author of the bill, said in a statement at the weekend.

National and global labor situation, labor market concerns, labor issues, overseas work and related problems will also become part of the subject, he added.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo M. Angara, chairman of the committee on higher education, was quoted as saying in the statement that college students “should be aware of their rights and privileges as workers as well as their responsibilities to society.”

Labor education under the current setup is included in college curriculum upon the discretion of the institution.

Rafael Mapalo, spokesperson of TUCP, said in the same statement, that TUCP supports the bill since “it will be of great help to the labor sector.” — NMG, BusinessWorld online