TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 677 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, 
BRYAN REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
GIVING DISCOUNT OR WAIVED FEES AND CHARGES IN THE ISSUANCE OF 
PRE-EMPLOYMENT DOCUMENTS TO QUALIFIED INDIGENT JOB APPLICANTS 
AND GRANTING THEM ONE-TIME MONETARY AID 
 EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The State is responsible for empowering its citizens. It has a social obligation 
to free its people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, 
promote full employment, raise the standard of living and improve the quality of life 
(The 1987 Constitution, Article II, Section 9.) 
Measures that are geared towards creating employment opportunities and 
labor productivity are needed in order to reduce the brunt of economic inequality on 
indigent Filipinos and alleviate them from poverty. 
However, jobs are scarce. And even when there are employment 
opportunities available, may Filipinos are unable to apply because they find the cost 
of acquiring pre-employment documents prohibitive. 
In order to provide assistance to indigent job seekers and make them active 
members of the labor force, this bill seeks to waive or reduce the fees involved in 
acquiring pre-employment documents and by providing monetary aid. By easing the 
financial burden of indigent job applicants, we are encouraging them to look for jobs 
that will help them improve the quality of their lives and eventually make them self 
reliant. 
Immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
July 1, 2025
8:00 am


REP. LANI MERCADO-REVILLA  
REP. BRYAN B. REVILLA 
            Representative 
   Representative 
          2nd District of Cavite 
 AGIMAT Partylist 
REP. RAMON JOLO REVILLA III 
      Representative 
 
  1st District of Cavite 


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 677 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, BRYAN B. 
REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
GIVING DISCOUNT OR WAIVED FEES AND CHARGES IN THE ISSUANCE OF 
PRE-EMPLOYMENT DOCUMENTS TO QUALIFIED INDIGENT JOB APPLICANTS 
AND GRANTING THEM ONE-TIME MONETARY AID 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section 1.  Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Kabalikat sa Abot 
Kamay na Pagsisimula Act.” 
Section 2.  Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to promote a 
just and dynamic order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the 
nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social 
services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved 
quality of life for all.  
Further, the State shall strive for a more equitable distribution of opportunities, 
income and wealth; a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services 
produced by the nation for the benefit of the people, and an expanding productivity to 
raise the quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged. 
Section 3.  Provision of Financial Assistance. – A one time monetary support 
amounting to Three Thousand Pesos (Php 3,000.00) may be availed of by qualified 
indigent job applicants from the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in the city 
or municipality where the applicants resides. 


 
Section 4.  Availment of Free Documents. – The following pre-employment 
documents may be availed of for free by qualified indigent job applicants: 
 
a).  Clearance from the barangay where the applicant resides; 
 
b).  Medical certificate for local employment from any government hospital  
 
      licensed by the Department of Health (DOH); 
 
c).  Transcript of Records and authenticated copy of diploma from the state     
 
       universities and colleges (SUCs) of the applicant; 
 
d).  Certificate of good moral character from the SUCs of the applicant 
 
e).  National Certificate (NC) and Certificate of Competency (COC) issued by  
 
      Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); 
 
 
 
Section 5.  Provision of Twenty Percent (20%) Discount - The following pre-
employment documents may be availed of by indigent job applicants with a twenty 
percent (20%) discount: 
 
a).  Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); 
 
b).  Clearance from the Philippine National Police (PNP); 
 
c).   Medical certificate for local employment from any private hospital licensed  
 
       by the Department of Health (DOH); 
 
d).  Certificate of marriage from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); 
 
e).  Certificate of live birth from the PSA; 
 
f).   Transcript of Records and authenticated copy of diploma from private 
 
      higher education institutions (HEIs) of the applicant; 
 
g).  Certificate of good moral character from private HEIs of the applicant; 
 
h).  Certificate of Civil Service Eligibility from the Civil Service Commission 
 
       (CSC); 
 
i).   Certificates of Competency ©C) issued by TESDA-accredited technical  
 
      vocational institutions; 
 
j).   Other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be  
 
      required by employers from indigent job applicants. 
 
The indigent job applicant may avail of the privileges under this Act only once 
every six (6) months from each government agency. 
 
Section 6.  Identification of Beneficiaries. -  As used in this Act, a poor job 
applicant refers to a person who is seeking gainful employment and has no visible 
means of income or whose income falls below the official poverty threshold, as 
identified and certified by the PSA based on the criteria set under the Community 
Based Monitoring System (CBMS) as established under Republic Act No. 11315, 
otherwise known as the ‘Community-Based Monitoring System Act”. 


 
Members of the households of the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” 
(4Ps) shall be automatically considered as “poor” and are eligible to avail of the 
privileges under this Act. 
 
 
        
 
Social welfare officers of the local government units and barangay officials are 
hereby authorized to issue certification, using the abovementioned criteria and 
established guidelines, for this purpose as proof of eligibility of job applicants in 
availing the privileges provided for under this Act. Such certification shall be free of 
charge. 
 
Section 7.  Penalties. – 
 
a). Any public officer or employee who refused or fails to provide the benefit 
granted to the poor job applicant in violation of Section 3 of this Act shall, upon 
conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than Five Thousand pesos (P5,000.00) but 
not more than Twenty Thousand pesos (P20,000.00). 
 
Prosecution for an offense set forth in this Act, shall be without prejudice to 
any liability for violation of any other existing laws, including civil service law, rules 
and regulations. 
 
b).  A job applicant who misrepresents or falsified any document to avail of 
benefits provided under this Act or abuses the privileges granted herein shall be 
prosecuted and punished in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Act No. 
3815, as amended, otherwise known as “The Revised Penal Code”, and shall suffer 
perpetual disqualification in availing the privileges under this Act. 
 
Section 8.  Interagency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee. -  An 
interagency coordinating and monitoring committee, hereinafter referred to as the 
Committee, shall be established to coordinate and monitor the implementation of this 
Act. 
 
The Committee shall be composed of the following: 
 
a).  Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) or the  
 
      authorized representative, as Chairperson; 
 
b).  National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the PSA or the  
 
      authorized representative, as Vice Chairperson; 
 
c).  Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 
 
      or the authorized representative, as Member; 
 
d).  Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ)  or the authorized  
 
      representative, as Member; 
 
e).  Chief of the PNP or the authorized representative, as member; 
 
f).   Director of the NBI or the authorized representative, as Member; 


 
g).  Secretary of the DOH or the authorized representative, as Member; 
 
h).  lead Convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) or the  
 
      authorized representative, as Member; 
 
i).   Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). 
 
The Committee shall have the following functions: 
 
a).  To coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of this Act; 
 
b).  To make recommendations for concerned agencies to ensure, the 
effective 
 
       and efficient delivery of benefits to poor job applicants under this Act. 
 
Section 9.  Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DOLE, in consultation 
with the PSA, DILG, NBI, PNP, DOJ, DOH, NAPC, and the CHED, shall issue the 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act within six 
(6) months after the effectivity of this Act. 
   
 
Section 10. -  Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
 
Section 11.  Repealing Clause. – 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 are hereby repealed, modified, or 
amended accordingly. 
 
Section 12.- Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,