Bill to waive fees for first-time jobseekers

MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to waive government fees and charges on documents needed by first-time jobseekers for their employment is awaiting President Duterte’s signature.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, said the proposed exemption from government fees can be availed of only once.

If signed into law, all individuals who seek employment for the first time will be able to secure identification documents and clearances issued by the government for free.

These include clearances issued by the police, barangays, medical certificates from government clinics and hospitals, National Bureau of Investigation, as well as birth and/or marriage certificates, tax identification number and Unified Multi-Purpose ID card (UMID).

Villanueva said first-time applicants will be asked to submit a barangay certification as proof the individual is a first-time jobseeker.

“If we total the expenses for pre-employment documents, it would cost a minimum of P2,000 that would be burdensome for new graduates,” he said.

The measure, called the First-Time Jobseekers Bill, is estimated to help around 1.3 million first-time jobseekers annually. Data show that job applicants pay as much as P2,000 for employment requirements.

An Asian Development Bank study showed regulations and restrictions on employment arrangements were one of the strong factors influencing school-to-work transition.

“It takes a high school graduate up to three years to find a first job while it takes a college graduate one year to find a first job,” Villanueva said.

He said if fresh graduates will not be assisted to find jobs quickly because they cannot afford to pay for the documents required by prospective employers, the jobs can end up with illegal alien workers.

Under the bill, the Public Employment Service Office in the different provinces, municipalities and cities shall assist first-time job seekers in securing the required documents for application.

Concerned government agencies shall maintain an annual roster of all individuals who have been issued documents and submit the roster to the Department of Information and Communication Technology, which in turn shall compile a database of the beneficiaries accessible to all government agencies.

The bill also calls for the creation of an inter-agency monitoring committee to monitor the compliance of concerned government agencies granting the waiver of fees and charges. Failure to comply with the act could result in the filing of administrative charges. 

“We are hopeful that the President will be supportive of our bill that will greatly benefit our young individuals as they enter our country’s workforce,” he said.