Angara pushes free gov’t docs for first-time jobseekers

Sen. Sonny Angara (File photo from INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara is calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to sign a bill that would exempt 1.3 million first-time jobseekers from paying fees on government-issued documents required for job application.

The senator said these documents included police clearance, NBI clearance, barangay clearance, medical certificate from public hospitals, birth and marriage certificates, tax identification number, community tax certificate, certification of eligibility, multi-purpose ID card, and other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be required by employers.

READ: Bill exempting first-time jobseekers from gov’t fees gets Senate OK

“Searching for a job can be costly and this measure can help to ease a bit the financial burden first-time jobseekers are faced with,” Angara said in a statement, Tuesday.

“The costs of looking for work often lead to perverse outcome where jobseekers, having fallen into debt to meet these costs, find themselves worse off before and even unable to pay for basic like food.”

Data showed that job applicants pay as much as P2,000 for employment requirements, a bulk of this amount is spent on government-issued documents, according to Angara, who chairs the Senate’s committee on ways and means.

The enrolled copy of Congress’ proposed First-Time Jobseekers Act has already been sent to Malacañang for the President’s signature.

The lawmaker said he was hoping the implementing rules and regulations of the bill would be expedited after the Chief Executive’s signing.

Under the proposed law, those who could avail of the incentive are new graduates who completed the K-12 program, a bachelor’s degree or a technical-vocational course from any school, college, university or technical-vocational institution in the country.

Students who have taken leaves of absence, those working part-time while enrolled, and out-of-school youth could also avail of the benefits once the measure is enacted into law.

The bill further mandates the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in every province, city and municipality to assist first-time jobseekers in securing all required documents for their job application, certification or clearance, and in registering or enrolling them with relevant government agencies, such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, among others. /cbb