Proposed city ordinance gets backing of DOLE

The officials of the Department of Labor and Employment is supporting the Cebu City Council's plan to enact an ordinance that requires companies to disclose its backgrounds when placing job advertisements in newspapers and to impose fines on publishers who violate the guidelines.

DOLE-7 representative Maria Grace Diaz, who appeared before the City Council in last Wednesday's regular session, said requiring business establishments to disclose its company backgrounds whenever it will publish job advertisements is also provided under Department Order 21, series of 1994.

Diaz also suggested that the ordinance must provide that those who will place job advertisements, particularly in newspapers or in broadcast stations, should announce or publish their DOLE registration number allowing them to hire employees.

Another suggestion of Diaz is to require those who wish to place job advertisements in media outlets to secure first police clearances to ensure that these companies that want to recruit jobseekers do not have derogatory records.

A department order issued by then Labor acting Secretary Jose Brillantes requires companies intending to advertise or publish its vacancies for local employment to first obtain a clearance from the regional offices of the Department of Labor and Employment.

The text of the advertisement or publication shall include the phrase: "No fees shall be collected from applicants".

The intention of the proposed ordinance sponsored by Councilor Eduardo Rama is to curtail the commission of fraud in recruitment activities effected through deceptive advertisement.

Since the public hearing of the proposed ordinance was already completed, the proposed ordinance will be submitted to a third and final reading in another session.

Once it will become an ordinance, any company who will publish or broadcast job advertisements in Cebu City should include the complete details of their firms, contact numbers, persons to be contacted, nature of job vacancies and the salaries. - Rene U. Borromeo