REPUBLIC OF TBE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Persons with disabilities play significant role in Philippine society. Their rights and 
privileges must be protected and equal opportunities must be afforded to them to develop 
their abilities in all fields of human endeavor. The State, moreover, must adopt policies to 
ensure their rehabilitation, self-developinent and self-reliance. It must develop their skills 
and potentials to enable them to compete favorably for available opportunities. 
A number of disabled persons, however, are still unable to compete successfully in the 
country’s open competitive merit examinations. This bill, therefore, seeks to give 
opportunity to demonstrate their employment abilities by virtue of temporary non- 
competitive appointments into the government service. Here, participation of a supported 
employee will not be based on the expectation that an individual will have the skills to 
perform all the duties in a job class, but on the assumption that with support and 
adaptation, or both, a job can be designed to take advantage of the supported employee’s 
special strengths. 
With this bill, improvement of their total well-being and their integration into the 
mainstream of society are expected. 
In light of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly requested. 
ANTbNb “SONNY” F:TRILLANES IV 
Senator 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
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[It'C 15 E :  :I5 
SENATE 
I 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes N 
I 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM FOR PERSONS 
WITH DISABILITICES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represenfatives of the Phil@pines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Supported 
Employees Act." 
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall 
mean: 
(a) "Agency" means those Departments, Boards, Commissions and Authorities of 
the government and are subject to the provisions and requirements of the Civil Service 
Commission, 
(b) "Cominission" refers to the Civil Service Commission. 
(c) "Chairman" means the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission. 
(d) "Supported employee" means any individual who: 
(1) has a severe physical or mental disability which seriously limits 
functional capacities including but not limited to mobility, communication, self- 
care, self-direction, work tolerance or work skills, in terms of employability 
(2) has one or more physical or mental disabilities resulting from 
amputation; arthritis; blindness; cancer; cerebral palsy; deafness; heart disease; 
hemiplegia; respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction; mental retardation; mental 
illness; multiple sclerosis; muscular dystrophy; musculoskeletal disorders; 
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neurological disorders, including stroke and epilepsy; paraplegia; quadriplegia 
and other spinal cord conditions; sickle cell anemia; and end-stage renal disease; 
or another disability or combination of disabilities determined on the basis of an 
evaluation of rehabilitation potential to cause comparable substantial functional 
limitation. 
(e) "Supported employment" means competitive work in integrated work settings: 
(1) for individuals with severe disabilities for whom competitive employment has not 
traditionally occurred, or 
(2) for individuals for whom competitive employment bas been interrupted or 
intermittent as a result of a severe disability, and who because of their disability, need 
on-going support services to perform such work. The term includes transitional 
employment for individuals with chronic mental illness. 
(f) "Participation in a supported employee program" means participation as a supported 
employee that is not based on the expectation that an individual will have the skills to 
perform all the duties in a job class, but on the assumption that with support and 
adaptation, or both, a job can he designed to take advantage of the supported employee's 
special strengths. 
(8) "Funder" means any entity either State or private, not for profit or for profit, that 
provides monies to programs that provide services related to supported employment. 
(h) "Provider" means any entity either public or private that provides technical support 
and services to any department or agency subject to the control of the national 
government, the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission. 
SEC. 3. Supported Employment Program. - The Commission, working with any 
funder or provider or both, shall seek the cooperation, assistance and participation of all 
government agencies in the development and implementation of a supported employment 
program. 
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SEC. 4. Job Classifications for Supported Employees. - The Commission shall 
establish job classifications for supported employees who may be appointed into the 
classifications by agencies without open competitive testing requirements. Supported 
employees shall serve in a trial employment capacity for not less than 3 or more than 12 
months. 
SEC. 5. Appointment into Permanent Positions. - Upon successful completion 
of the supported employment trial period, the agencies will petition the Coinmission for 
appointment of the participants into permanent targeted government positions. 
The Commission will place the supported employees on open competitive eligible 
listings (supported employment option) for the targeted position titles. After which, the 
Commission will refer the names of the supported employees to the employer agencies 
for probationary appointment into permanent targeted positions. 
SEC. 6. Record. - The Commission shall maintain a record of all individuals 
hired as supported employees by the government agencies. The record shall include: 
(1) the number of supported employees initially appointed by the agencies; 
(2) the number of supported employees who successfully 
complete 
the 
trial 
employment periods by the agencies; and 
(3) the number of permanent targeted positions by titles and agencies. 
The Department shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly regarding 
the employment progress of supported employees, with recommendations for legislative 
action. 
SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and 
other issuances, and rules and regulations, or part thereof, contrary to or inconsistent with 
any provision of this Act, are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be found 
unconstitutional by a court of law, such provision shall be severed from the other 
provisions, and the same shall not affect the enforceability and effectivity of the 
remaining provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 9. Eflectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in any two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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