‘Capital Town’ to highlight Kapampangan culture and heritage

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Aside from stimulating further development here, the multi-billion township project of Megaworld Corporation is also set to highlight Kapampangan culture and heritage through building design and landscape.

This was learned from Megaworld Pampanga First Vice-President for Sales and Marketing Eugene Lozano during the formal launch of the mega township project which is envisioned to be Pampanga’s iconic central business district.

Lozano disclosed that the P30-billion infrastructure project was conceptualized to bring out the best of Kapampangan culture, tradition and history.

The “Capital Town,” which is strategically located near the Pampanga Provincial Capitol, will be home to residential and BPO office towers, civic and institutional facilities that will highlight neoclassical and art deco architecture, reflective of Pampanga’s historic rows and heritage houses.

The township’s first product, Shophouse, will be a 1950’s postWorld War II era-inspired hub that will remind Kapampangans when the province’s economy catapulted through the patronage of local and international tourists, and American soldiers who remained in town for a very long time, Lozano said.

He added that the Capital town will also provide a platform for Kapampangans to showcase their artistry and craft, especially in lanternmaking, through their amphitheater and events trade hall.

DOLE Regional Director Ana Dione reported to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III that some 81 company representatives participated in the said orientation held at the DOLE regional office.

In her message, Dione urged subcontractors for their cooperation and support and asked them from refraining in engaging in “ENDO,” labor-only contracting (LOC), and similar schemes.

“The Labor Secretary has just signed D.O. 174-17, which puts stricter rules in the regulation of contracting and subcontracting. In this light, we continue to appeal to you all to voluntary comply with our labor laws and occupational safety and health standards, and ensure that your workers will receive their rightful benefits. Avoid engaging with illicit forms of employment schemes which will deprive your workers of their basic rights and benefits,” Dione said.

DOLE Med-Arbiter Remedios Vegim-Teves kicked-off the orientation with and overview and comprehensive discussion on D.O. 174-17.

Vegim-Teves highlighted the D.O.’s new provisions which include increase in substantial capital from P3 million to P5 million, as well as the increase in registration fee from P25,000 to P100,000.

Another major provision Vegim-Teves highlighted in the new D.O. is the shortened validity of the registration of contractors/ subcontractors from three years to two years.

Vegim-Teves said that the new D.O. also thoroughly explains the prohibition of labor-only contracting and likewise specifies other illicit forms of employment arr angement s.

“The existence of LOC is evident if contractor does not have substantial capital or investments in the form of tools, machineries, supervision, work premises, among others, and its employees recruited are performing activities which are usually necessary or desirable to the operation of the company or directly related to the business of the principal. In addition, contractor/ subcontractor does not exercise the right to control over the performance of the work of the employee,” Vegim-Teves, explained.

Some illicit employment arrangements Vegim-Teves cited are farming out work through “cabo” and contracting out a work through in-house agency or in-house cooperative by merely supplying workers to the principal.

Other illicit employment arrangements include contracting of work by reason of strike or lockout and requiring contractor employees to perform tasks performed by regular employees of the principal.

Meanwhile, Technical Support and Services for Labor Relations and Labor Standards head Ma. Rima Hernandez, for her part, discussed Workers Rights and Benefits.

Hernandez highlighted in her lecture General Labor Standards covering minimum wages, holiday and premium pays, 13th month, overtime and night differential pays, and service incentive leaves, among others.

Aside from this, normal hours of work, meals and rest periods, rules on regular and special holidays, special leave benefits for women, and flexible work schemes were also discussed.

Last but not least, Supervising Labor and Employment Officer Rani David discussed and explained Labor Turnovers covering Security of Tenure, Termination, and Procedural Due Process.

Attending participants had the opportunity to clarify some of the provisions contained in the new D.O. in an open forum that was facilitated after the learning sessions.

The DOLE Field Offices in other parts of the region will be holding their respective orientations on the new D.O. with their partners and stakeholders in the days to come.— Jerry Borja/DOLE-3 LCO