Poe wants gov’t fees promptly waived for new jobseekers

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday enjoined concerned government agencies to immediately implement the newly-signed law waiving fees on documents needed by first-time jobseekers.

Poe, who is one of the co-authors of Republic Act 11261 or the “First Time Job Seekers Assistance Act”, issued the the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill into law.

READ: Duterte signs law waiving gov’t fees for first-time jobseekers
 

“Inaasahan natin na ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan ay tatalima at mabilis na kikilos para bigyang katuparan ang batas na ito para sa ating mga kabataan,” Poe said in a statement.

The senator said the law manifested the government’s efforts to help jobseekers.

“We hail the signing of the new law.  Starting a job can be a struggle. Now, government is at hand to help make sure that first-time jobseekers will not miss the opportunity to begin a career that can make a difference for themselves and their families,” Poe said.

Duterte signed the bill into law last April 10.

It covers several government documents required by employers such as police and barangay clearance, medical certificates from government clinics and hospitals, NBI certificate, birth and/or marriage certificates, tax identification number (TIN), transcript of records from state universities and colleges, and Unified Multi-Purpose ID card (UMID), among others.

The law, however, does not cover application fees for taking professional licensure examination, applying for a Philippine passport, having documents authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs, applying for a Career Service Examination, and applying for a driver’s license. /gsg