FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XIII, 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. (Emphasis supplied) 
Unemployment and underemployment are perennial problems of the Philippine 
government. News reports of banks, corporations and small and medium scale businesses forced 
to close down abound. 
Unemployment and underemployment are perennial problems of the Philippine 
government News reports of banks, corporations and small and medium scale business forced to 
close down abound. 
The Department o€ Labor and Employment even reported that in the early part of 1998, 
219 notices of lay-offs have already been served, affecting 8,700 workers. It has likewise 
reported that Filipino worlcers in Malaysia and Korea are reported 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. 
The 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 increased competition. The 
conditions have not changed despite the fact that it is now 2007. 


This bill seeks to establish programs to prepare mature or older workers for participation 
in the labor force by increasing occupational ad educational skills resulting in improved long- 
term employability, increased employment and earnings.* 
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* This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
) 
S. B. No. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM 
FOR MATURE OR OLDER WORKERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Mature and Older Workers 
Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declarafiodon of Terms. - 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 o€ employment opportunities for all. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. -As used in this Act, the term: 
(A) “Basic Skills Deficient” means, with respect to an individual, that the individual has 
English reading or computing skills at or below the St” grade level on a generally 
accepted standardized test or a comparable scope on a criterion referenced test; 
(B) “Care 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 offer job 
placement; 
(C) “Educational Agency” mean- 


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(1) A public local school authority having administrative control of elementary, 
middle, or secondary school 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) “Mature or Older Worker” means an individual who is over forty (40) years of age 
or older; 
(E) “Participant” means an individual who has been determined to be eligible to 
participate in the program; 
“School Dropout” means an individual who has been determined to be eligible to 
participate in the program; and 
(G) “Termination” means the separation of a participant who is no longer receiving 
services. 
(F) 
SECTION 4. Eligibility for Services. -An individual shall be eligible to participate in the 
program assisted under this part of such individual is forty (40) years of age or older and is 
included in one or more of the following categories: 
(A) Individuals whose income is not in excess f the poverty line; 
(B) Individuals who are eligible for housing assistance; or 
(C) Individuals who are included in 2 or more of the following categories: 
(1) Individuals who are unemployed 15 of the past 26 weeks; 
(2) Individuals who are unemployed 30 of the pars 52 weeks; 
(3) Individuals who are working 20 o fewer hours a week; 
(4) Individuals who are displaced homemakers; 
( 5 )  Individuals who are homeless; 
(6) Individuals who have finished less than 10 years of school; 
(7) Individuals who are deficient in basic skills; 
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(8) Individuals who have been notified that the jobs of such individuals will be 
terminated within the next 60 days; or 
(9) Individuals who live alone. 
SECTION 5. Program Design. - 
(A) Program Requirements. - Each program assisted under this part shall include - 
(1) 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 non-traditional 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. 
(2) Development of service strategists that shall identify the employment goal 
(including, in appropriate circumstances, non-traditional employment), the 
appropriate achievement objectives, and the appropriate sequence of services 
for participants, taking into account the assessments conducted under 
subparagraph (l), 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 in an appropriate service 
strategy; 
(3) A review of the progress of each participant in meeting the objectives of the 
service strategy; and 
(4) Basic skills training and occupational skills training if the assessment and the 
service strategy indicate such training are appropriate. 
(B) Additional Requirements. - 
(1) Minimum Income Participants and Applicants. - Each service delivery area 
participating in a program assisted under this part shall insure that each 
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participant or applicant shall be provided information on the full array of the 
applicable or appropriate services that are available through the service 
delivery area or other service providers, including providers receiving funds 
under this Act; and 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. 
(2) Applicants Not Meeting Enrollment Requirements. - 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. 
The service delivery area shall ensure that appropriate referrals are 
made and shall maintain records on the referrals and the reasons for which 
applicants are referred. 
(3) Authorized Services. - One or more of the following training or supportive 
services shall be made available to each participant under this part: 
(a) Outreach and recruitment; 
(b) Intake and assessment; 
(c) Job search assistance; 
(d) Classroom and occupational skill training; 
(e) On-the-job training; 
(f) Work experience; 
(8) Basic remedial and education and literacy training; 
(h) Supplemental services, including day care for dependent children and 
adults; 
(i) Occupational placement assistance. 
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(C) Sewice Providers. - In the selection of service providers, the Department of Labor 
and Employment shall give preference to agencies and organizations with 
demonstrated in conducting older and mature worker programs. 
The Department of Labor and Employment shall develop the job training 
program under this Act. It may seek the assistance of older government agencies 
such as the Department of Education 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 the 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 serviced 
under this Act, and the type of services under this Act received by participants. 
SECTION 7. Separubilify Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any Saw, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
with the provision 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, 
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