Chairs lie empty as a job fair draws to a close at a mall in mandaluyong on July 21, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - A measure seeking to grant a 20 percent discount on fees for pre-employment documents of indigent job seekers hurdled the committee level at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The House Committee on Poverty Alleviation approved on Wednesday the draft committee report and substitute bill for House Bills 367, 2533, 3048, 3533, 3604, 4762, 4828, 5553 & 5792.
Under the substitute bill, the discount covers fees for the following:
- clearances from the barangay
- National Bureau of Investigation
- Philippine National Police.
- medical certificates from government hospitals and medical facilities accredited by the Department of Health
- certificates of birth and marriage from the Philippine Statistics Authority
- national certificate and certificate of competency from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
- certificate of civil service eligibility, and other government-issued documentary requirements that may be required by employers from indigent job seekers as determined by the Inter-Agency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee.
Fees and charges for tax identification number (TIN), transcript of records (ToR), transfer credentials and authenticated copy of diplomas and certificates of good moral character from state and local universities and colleges of the indigent job seeker shall be waived, according to the bill.
“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,” it further stated.
The bill defines an indigent job seeker as a person “seeking gainful employment and has no visible income or whose income falls below the official poverty threshold”.
“This 20 percent discount for all government certifications is a big big help to our indigent citizens,” Committee Chairperson Rep. Michael Romero said.
The bill will be transmitted to the House Committee on Rules. Romero hopes the measure will be endorsed for second reading at the plenary next week.
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