Figure overtaken. The minimum age below is no longer the general rule. Republic Act No. 9231 (2003), amending the Special Protection of Children Act, provides that children below fifteen shall not be employed save in narrow excepted cases. The article is otherwise operative; the text below is reproduced as enacted.
Text of the provision
Art. 59. Qualifications of apprentice. To qualify as an apprentice, a person shall: Be at least fourteen (14) years of age; Possess vocational aptitude and capacity for appropriate tests; and Possess the ability to comprehend and follow oral and written instructions. Trade and industry associations may recommend to the Secretary of Labor appropriate educational requirements for different occupations.
Labor Code of the Philippines, Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended. Reproduced in full from the official enactment and verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings.
What this article means
To qualify, a person must be at least fourteen years old, possess vocational aptitude and capacity shown by appropriate tests, and be able to understand and follow oral and written instructions. Trade and industry associations may recommend educational requirements for particular occupations to the Secretary of Labor.
Questions about this provision
Related provisions
- Article 58 — Apprenticeship Terms Defined.
- Article 62 — Signing Of Apprenticeship Agreement.
A note on article numbers. The articles of the Labor Code have been administratively renumbered, so the same provision is often cited under a different number. Supreme Court decisions write both, in the form “Article 297 [282]” — the new number first, the original in brackets. The text on this page is published under its original number, which is the numbering both source texts use. When citing, check which numbering your source follows.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on this article will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.