THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
i
s
 
SENATE 
d 
S. No. 
5 
, ' 
. /  t 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution Article 13, Section 3 provides: 
The State shall afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized 
and unorganized, and promote full employment and equality of employment 
opportunities for all. 
Unemployment and underemployment are perennial problems of the 
Philippine government. News reports of banks, corporations and small 
medium scale businesses forced to close down abound. 
The Department of Labor and Employment even reported that in the early part of this 
year, 219 notices of lay-offs have already been served, affecting 8,700 workers. It has likewise 
reported that Filipino workers in Malaysia and Korea are reportedly losing jobs by the thousands. 
Jobs are being lost because of the continued high interest rates forcing businesses to slow down 
both in investments and in actual production. 
This trend undoubtedly places the mature and older workers at a disadvantage. Those 
who are previously employed may suddenly find themselves jobless, while those who have never 
been employed might have less chances of being hired because of the increased competition. 
It is thus the purpose of this bill to establish programs to prepare mature or older workers 
for participation in the labor force by increasing occupational and educational skills resulting in 
improved long-term employability, and increased employment and earnings. 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
645 
F 
~ 
~~ 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR JR. 
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM 
FOR MATURE OR OLDER WORKERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assem bled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be know as the “Mature and Older 
Workers Act”. 
SECTI,ON 2. Declaration ofPolicy - It is a policy of the State to afford full protection to 
labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote full employment and equality 
of employment opportunities for all. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms - As used in this Act, the term. 
(A) The term “Basic Skills Deficient” means, with respect to an individual, that the 
individual has English reading or computing skills at or below the 8th grade level on a generally 
accepted standardized test or a comparable score on a criterion-referenced test: 
(B) The term “Case Management” means the provision, in the delivery of a service, of a 
client-centered approach designed to - 
(1) prepare and coordinate a comprehensive employment plan, such as a service 
strategy, for a participant to ensure access to a necessary training and support 
service; and 
(2) provide job and career counseling during program participation and after job 
placement; 
(C) The term “Educational Agency” means- 


(1) a public local school authority having administrative control of elementary, 
middle, or secondary schools or providing adult education; 
(2) a public or private institution that provides alternative middle or high school 
education; 
(3) a public education institution or agency having administrative control of 
secondary or post-secondary vocational education programs; or 
(4) a post-secondary institution; 
(D) The term “Mature or Older Worker” means as individual who is 40 years of 
are or older; 
(E) The term “Participant” means an individual who has been determined to be eligible to 
pqrticipate in the program; 
(F) The term “School Dropout” means an individual who is no longer attending any 
school and who has not received a secondary school diploma or a certificate from a program of 
equivalency for such a diploma; and 
(G) The term “Termination” means the separation of a participant who is no longer 
receiving services. 
SECTION 4. Eligibility for Services- 
An individual shall be eligible to participate in the program assisted under this part if 
such individual is 40 years of age or older and is included in one or more of the following 
categories: 
(1) Individuals whose income is not in excess of the poverty line; 
(2) Individuals who are eligible for housing assistance; or 
(3) Individuals who are included in 2 or more of the following categories; 
(i) Individuals who are unemployed 15 of the past 26 weeks; 
(ii) Individuals who are unemployed 30 of the past 52 weeks; 
(iii) Individuals who are working 20 or fewer hours a week; 
(iv) Individuals who are displaced homemakers; 
(v) Individuals who are homeless; 
(vi) Individuals who have finished less than 10 years of school; 


(vii) Individuals who are deficient in basic skills; 
(viii) Individuals who have Eeen notified that the jobs of such individuals will be 
terminated within the next 60 days; or 
(ix) Individuals who live alone. 
SECTION 5. Program Design- 
(a) IN GENERAL- 
(1) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. Each program assisted under this part shall include- 
(A) 
An objective assessment, using the case management technique, of the 
skill levels and service needs of each participant, including such factors as 
basic skills, occupational skills, prior work experience, employability, 
interests, aptitudes (including interests and aptitudes for nontraditional 
employment) and supportive service needs, except that a new assessment of a 
participant is not required if the program determines that a recent assessment 
of the participant conducted under another education or training program, is 
an appropriate assessment. 
(B) 
Development of service strategies that shall identify the employment 
goal (including in appropriate circumstances, nontraditional employment), the 
appropriate achievement objectives, and the appropriate sequence of services 
for participants, taking into account the: assessments conducted under 
subparagraph (A), except that a new service strategy is not required if the 
program determines a recent service strategy developed for the participant 
under another education or training program is an appropriate service strategy. 
A review of the progress of each participant in meeting the objectives 
(C) 
of the service strategy; and 
(D) 
Basic skills training and occupational skills training if the assessment 
and the service strategy indicate such training is appropriate. 
(2) ADDITIONAL FEQUIREMENTS- 
(A) MINIMUM INCOME PARTICIPANTS AND APPLICANTS- Each 
service delivery area participating in a program assisted under this part 


shall ensure that each participant or applicant described in paragraph 
(1) (2), or (3) of Section 4 shall be provided- 
(i) information on the full array of applicable or appropriate 
services that are available through the service delivery area or 
other service providers, including providers receiving funds under 
this Act; and 
(ii) referral to other appropriate training and educational programs 
that have the capacity to serve the participant or applicant either on 
a sequential or concurrent basis. 
(B) 
APPLICANTS 
NOT 
MEETING 
ENROLLMENT 
REQUIREMENTS -- 
(i)SERVICE PROVIDERS - Each service provider shall ensure 
that an eligible applicant who does not meet the enrollment 
requirements of the particular program of the provider shall be 
referred to the service delivery area for further assessment, as 
necessary, and referrals to appropriate programs to meet the basic 
skills and training needs of the applicant. 
(ii) SERVICE DELIVERY AREA- The service delivery area shall 
ensure that appropriate referrals are made under clause (i) and shall 
maintain records on the referrals and the reasons for which 
applicants are referred. 
. 
(b) AUTHORIZED SERVICES - One or more of the following training or supportive services 
shall be made available to each participant under this part. 
(I] Outreach and recruitment. 
(2) Intake and assessment. 
(3) Job search assistance. 
(4) Classroom and occupational skill training. 
(5) On-the-job training. 
(6) Work Experience. 


(7) Basic and remedial education and literacy training. 
(8) Supplemental services, including day care for dependent children and adults. 
(9) Occupational placement assistance. 
(c) SPECIAL RULES- 
(1) SELECTION OF SERVICE PROVIDERS- In the selection of service providers, the 
Department of Labor and Employment shall give preference to agencies and 
organizations with demonstrated competence in conducting older and mature worker 
programs; 
(2) JOB TRAINING PLAN- The Department of Labor and Employment shall develop 
the job training program under this Act. 
It may seek the assistance of other 
government agencies such as the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports, and 
the help of private educational agencies. It shall also formulate the necessary 
implementing rules and regulations that will ensure the efficient and effective 
implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 6. Report - The Secretary shall submit to the President of the 
Philippines and to both Houses of Congress, not later than the opening of the 
regular session each year, an annual report on the status of the implementation 
of this Act. The annual report shall include an analysis, for each province and on 
a nationwide basis, of the number of participants served under this Act, and the 
type of services under this Act received by participants. 
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. If any provision, or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional the remainder or the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clazise. Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 


Approved,