Bill aims to create job, training centers for seniors, PWDs pushed

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to create centers within local government units (LGUs) that will find training and job opportunities for seniors and persons with disabilities (PWDs) has been filed at the House of Representatives.

Bicol Saro Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan on Thursday said that he has filed House Bill No. 10630 or the proposed Inclusive Employment Act of 2024, which seeks to establish the Local Center for Inclusive Employment (LCIE).

Under the bill, the LCIE will be created in all capital towns of provinces, key cities and other strategic areas, and will be placed as a unit under the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of LGUs.

Yamsuan said that the bill is aimed at ensuring that equal opportunities are given to Filipinos no matter what their stature in life is — noting that discrimination still exists even if there are directives against it.

“Alam naman po natin na kahit may mga polisiya na tayo na layuning  maging pantay ang oportunidad sa trabaho para sa mga kwalipikadong seniors at PWD, hirap pa rin ang karamihan sa kanila na makahanap ng maayos at disenteng hanapbuhay,” he said.

(We all know that despite policies seeking to promote equal employment opportunities for qualified seniors and PWDs, they still find it difficult to find good and decent jobs.)

“Nanatili pa rin ang diskriminasyon laban sa kanila at bukod pa diyan, hindi nila alam kung saang opisina ng gobyerno sila lalapit para matulungan sila sa proseso ng paghahanap ng trabaho,” he added.

(Discrimination of seniors and PWDs still exists, and aside from that, they do not know which specific government office can address their problems, particularly about help in finding jobs.)

READ: PWDs need employment opportunities. This survey will help them 

According to Yamsuan’s proposal, some of the LCIE’s responsibilities will include the following:

• Establish partnerships with employers who shall regularly submit to the LCIE a list of job vacancies available for PWDs and senior citizens in their respective establishments
• Facilitate the exchange of labor market information between the PWDs and senior citizens jobseekers and employers, by providing employment information services the jobseekers and recruitment assistance to employers;
• Develop and administer testing and evaluation instruments for effective qualification, selection, training, and counseling;
• Develop training modules for PWDs and senior citizens in order to improve their skills and comply with the skills requirement of the employer;
• Undertake employability enhancement trainings/seminars for PWDs and senior citizens, as well as those PWDs and senior citizens who would like to enhance their employability
• Provide occupational counseling, career guidance, mas motivation and values development activities to PWDs and senior citizen;
• Conduct pre-employment counseling and orientation to PWDs and senior citizens;
• Provide PWDs and senior citizens with access to the various livelihood and self-employment programs offered by both government and non-government organizations (NGOs) at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels by undertaking referrals for such programs

The LCIE is also tasked to conduct job fairs for PWDs and seniors, and provide reintegration assistance services to PWDs and senior citizens who are either retrenched or terminated.

“Our legislative proposal aims to fill this inadequacy by providing targeted support and resources to help qualified individuals from these vulnerable sectors find and retain gainful employment,” Yamsuan noted.

The lawmaker said the proposal was created after consulting with seniors and PWDs from Parañaque, his home city.  According to Yamsuan, many have complained about the lack of government assistance in helping their sectors find jobs that match their qualifications and skills.

READ: Incentives for PWDs’ employment 

Currently, Yamsuan said data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that only 353,000 PWDs have been employed, out of the 1.9 million working-age PWDs.

For the senior citizen population only 965,200 of 2.54 million qualified seniors were employed.