The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued an advisory on August 1, 2026, reminding parents and guardians that influencers and content creators below 15 years old need to have work permits.
DOLE issued the Labor Advisory No. 12 to remind “employers, advertisers, content creators, and parents” that children below 15 must first secure a work permit from the agency “before they can participate in public entertainment or information, including television, theater, advertisements, social media, and other online platforms.”
The advisory notes that the Republic Act No. 9231, or the law that eliminates the worst forms of child labor, also applies to digital platforms where children create or appear in content, and not just to traditional media.
Under the law, children under 15 years old are generally prohibited from working, unless they work directly under the sole responsibility of a parent or legal guardian, or only family members are employed, or when the child’s participation is essential to public entertainment or information.
Whichever the case may be, a work permit from DOLE is needed to be obtained before they can appear on any platform.
The advisory notes that the “public entertainment or information covers artistic, literary, and cultural performances and productions distributed through television, radio, cinema, theater, print, and the internet.”
“It also includes content published through streaming platforms, social media, vlogs, digital advertisements, web series, podcasts, educational content, and other emerging forms of media,” they added.