The House of Representatives gave the final nod on a measure that seeks to aid indigent jobseekers in their pursuit of gainful employment by granting them discounted or waived fees on pre-employment requirements such as National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and police clearances.
With an overwhelming 270 votes, the House members approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 8008 or the “Kabalikat sa Hanapbuhay Act,” which seeks to provide either a 20% discount on fees or completely waived payment on employment documents issued by government agencies for qualified indigent job hunters.
“If the government cannot aid them in hurdling the first obstacle to gainful employment, then I see a failure in public service.”
“The first big hurdle for indigent jobseekers is the payment of fees for their employment requirements. If the government cannot aid them in hurdling the first obstacle to gainful employment, then I see a failure in public service,” Speaker Martin Romualdez said.
“It is within the government’s power to reduce or waive these fees to give our indigent citizens a head start in landing a job, given that these documentary employment requirements are issued by government agencies themselves. It is my belief that doing this will greatly help many of our citizens,” Romualdez added.
Under HB 8008, a 20% discount is granted to qualified indigent jobseekers applying for the following documentary requirements:
– Barangay Clearance.
– NBI Clearance.
– Police Clearance.
– Medical Certificate from any government hospital.
– Medical Certificate for foreign employment from any DOH-accredited medical facility for overseas workers and seafarers.
– Marriage Certificate from the PSA.
– Birth Certificate from the PSA.
– National Certificate and Certificate of Competency (COC) from TESDA.
– Certificate of Civil Service Eligibility from the CSC.
– Other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be required by employers from indigent job seekers as determined and approved by the Inter-Agency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee established in this Act.
Section 5 of the measure waives the fees and charges for the following pre-employment documents and cards:
– Tax Identification Number from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
– Transcript of Records, Transfer Credentials, Authenticated Copy of Diploma, and Certificate of Good Moral Character from the State Universities and Colleges, and Local Universities and Colleges of the job seeker.
“The indigent job seeker may avail of the privileges of waived or discounted fees under this Act only once every six (6) months from each government agency.”
“The indigent job seeker may avail of the privileges of waived or discounted fees under this Act only once every six (6) months from each government agency,” HB 8008 read.
The measure also mandates the creation of an Interagency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee headed by the Secretary of Labor and Employment as Chairperson and the Secretary of Interior and Local Government as Vice Chairperson, with members from different agencies such as the Department of Migrant Workers, PSA, PNP, NBI, DOH and others.
The bill also defined an indigent jobseeker as “a person who is seeking gainful employment and has no visible means of income or whose income falls below the official poverty threshold, as identified by the National Economic and Development Authority and/or cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities of life.”
“The PSA, based on the criteria set under the Community-Based Monitoring System as established under Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise known as the Community-Based Monitoring System Act, shall validate the list of indigent households in the Listahanan of the DSWD,” it said.
“The Local Social Welfare Development Officer (LSWDO) of the city/municipality or any equivalent unit of the municipality where theindigent job seeker resides is authorized to issue a Certificate of Indigency based on the latest CBMS data … Such certification shall be free of charge,” the bill continued.
Furthermore, an indigent job seeker whose household is enrolled under the seven-year period “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps),” shall be automatically considered an “indigent” and eligible to avail of the privileges mandated.
