Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. ___________ 
Introduced by Honorable Ma. Alana Samanta Taliño Santos 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MAGNA CARTA OF THE 
 OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Magna Carta of the Out-of-School Youth (OSY) is a comprehensive human rights law that seeks 
to advocate for the Filipino population, from 15 to 30 years of age, through the recognition, 
protection, fulfillment, and promotion of their rights. One out of five school-age children and young 
Filipino adults, or around 7.9 million out of 42.2 million, do not attend school for the school year 
2022-2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Of the 7.9 million, 74 percent of the OSYs 
are aged 20 to 24. 
Out-of-school youth, is defined as currently out of school, not gainfully employed, and have not 
finished college or a post-secondary course. Leaving school early results in lost potential productivity 
and raises the overall costs of achieving the desired educational levels in the population. Since drop-
out rates are highest among children in lower income households, this ultimately limits their future 
income opportunities. 
This proposed measure aims to be a comprehensive, and cohesive legal framework for OSY children's 
right to protection and development, as aligned with Article II, Section 13 of the Constitution. In 
safeguarding OSY rights to education, protection, and participation, it complies with the United 
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This bill strengthens the State’s mandate of instituting 
policies and programs for the development of Filipino OSYs by providing them educational, 
employment, entrepreneurial assistance, as well as health and social protection services. 
This is achieved through the collaboration of the Department of Education (DepEd), the Technical 
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the various local government units (LCDs), 
and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). This measure passed the third reading in the 
House of Representatives in the 18th Congress.  
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
MA. ALANA SAMANTHA TALIÑO SANTOS 
Representative 
3rd District, Cotabato Province 
11016
November 4, 2024
12:24 pm


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. ___________ 
Introduced by Honorable Ma. Alana Samanta Taliño Santos 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MAGNA CARTA OF THE 
 OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
CHAPTER 1 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Magna Carta of the Out-of-School Youth." 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies. It is hereby declared that the State values the dignity of every human 
person and guarantees full respect for human rights. The State therefore recognizes the right of out-
of-school youth to social protection and development. Towards this end, the State shall promulgate 
measures to achieve the following objectives: 
(a) Inspire and encourage the out-of-school youth to contribute to nation building;
(b) Recognize the rights of out-of-school youth in the society;
(c) Provide an Alternative Learning System and a program for technical/vocational education
for the out-of-school youth;
(d) Give full support to the improvement of the total well-being of the out-of-school youth by
providing educational development and employment opportunities; and
(e) Recognize the important role of the private sector in the improvement of the welfare of out-
of-school youth and to actively seek their partnership.
CHAPTER II 
DEFINITION OF TERMS 
SEC. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act: 
(a) Alternative Learning System refers to a parallel learning system in the Philippines that
provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction. It includes both the non-formal
and informal sources of knowledge and skills;
11016


(b) Out-of-school Youth refers to members of the population aged 15 to 30 years old who are
currently out of school, not gainfully employed, and have not finished college or a post-
secondary course;
(c) Social Protection refers to policies and programs that seek to reduce poverty and
vulnerability to risks and enhance the social status and rights of all out-of-school youth by
promoting and protecting the livelihood and employment, protecting against hazards and
sudden loss of income, and improving people's capacity to manage risk. Its components are
labor market programs, social insurance, social welfare and social safety nets;
(d) Substantive Equality refers to the full and equal enjoyment of rights and freedoms
contemplated under this Act and encompasses de jure and de facto equality and equality in
outcomes;
(e) Technical/Vocational Education and Training (TVET) refers to the education or training
process which involves, in addition to general education, the study of technical and related
fields and the acquisition of practical skills relating to occupations in various sectors, 
comprising formal (organized programs as part of the school systems) and nonformal 
(organized classes outside the school system) approaches; 
(f) TVET Graduate refers to a student or trainee who has completed the requirements set for a
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-registered Technical
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) course/program,
CHAPTER III 
DUTIES RELATED TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH 
SEC. 4. The State as the Primary Duty-Bearer. - The State, as the primary duty bearer, shall be 
guided by progressive developments in human rights of out-of-school youth under international law, 
and endeavor to design policies, laws, and other regulatory measures to fulfill these duties. It shall 
institute programs that will carry out the objectives of this Act. It shall promote: 
(a) The protection of the rights of out-of-school youth against discrimination by private
corporations, entities, and individuals; and
(b) The substantive equality in the rights of out-of-school youth in all spheres of growth and
development.
SEC. 5. Duties of State Agencies and Instrumentalities. - The duties of the State as stated in Section 
4 of this Act shall extend to all state agencies, offices, and instrumentalities at all levels and 
government-owned and -controlled corporations, subject to the Constitution and pertinent laws, 
policies, or administrative guidelines that define specific duties of state agencies and entities 
concerned. 
CHAPTER IV 
RIGHTS AND EMPOWERMENT 
SEC. 6. Human Rights of Out-of-School Youth. Out-of-school youth shall enjoy, without 
discrimination, all rights in the Constitution and those rights recognized under international 
instruments duly signed and ratified by the Philippines, consonance with Philippine law. 


 
SEC. 7. Protection from Violence. The State shall ensure that all out-of-school youth shall be 
protected from all forms of violence, particularly cases of physical abuse, sexual exploitation, and 
human trafficking. Agencies of government shall give priority to the defense and protection of out-
of-school youth and help them to attain justice and healing. 
 
SEC. 8. Equal Treatment Before the Law. The State shall take steps to review and, when necessary, 
amend, or repeal existing laws that are discriminatory to out-of-school youth. 
 
SEC. 9. Representation of Out-of-School Youth Issues and Concerns in Media and Film. The State 
shall formulate policies and programs for the advancement of out-of-school youth, in collaboration 
with government and non-government media-related organizations. 
 
For this purpose, the State shall ensure allocation of space, airtime, and resources, strengthen 
programming, production, and image-making that appropriately present the out-of-school youth's 
needs, issues and concerns in all forms of media, communication, information dissemination, and 
advertising. 
 
SEC. 10. Recognition and Preservation of Cultural Identity and Integrity. The State shall 
recognize and respect the rights of Moro and indigenous peoples who are out-of-school youth to 
practice, promote, protect, and preserve their own culture, traditions, and institutions and to 
consider these rights in the formulation and implementation of national policies and programs. 
 
To this end, the State shall adopt measures in consultation with the sectors concerned to protect their 
rights, their indigenous knowledge systems and practices, traditional livelihood, and other 
manifestations of their culture and way of life: Provided, That these cultural systems and practices 
are not discriminatory to the out-of-school youth. 
 
CHAPTER V 
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT 
 
SEC. 11. Government Assistance. - The National Government, through its agencies and 
instrumentalities, shall provide the following: 
 
(a) Education - The Department of Education (DepEd), TESDA and the Commission on Higher 
Education (CHED), in consultation with local government units (LGUs) and non-government 
organizations (NGOs), shall institute a program that will ensure access to formal and non-
formal education; 
 
(b) Health - The Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with LGUs and NGOs shall institute 
a national health program and provide an integral health service for out-of-school youth; 
 
(c) Social Services - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in cooperation 
with LGUs and NGOs and other relevant stakeholders shall develop and implement programs 
on social services for out-of-school youth, the components of which are: 
1. Social Enhancement Services which provide the out-of-school youth with 
opportunities for socializing, organizing creative expression, and improvements of 
self; and 
 


2. After Care Services for out-of-school youth who are discharged from the homes or 
institutions of the DSWD and other private institutions duly accredited by DSWD, 
especially those who have problems of reintegration with family and community; 
 
(d) Employment - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in coordination with other 
government agencies such as, but not limited to, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 
and TESDA, shall assess, design, and implement training programs that will provide skills and 
welfare or livelihood support for out-of-school youth. 
 
CHAPTER VI  
EDUCATION 
 
SEC. 12. Mandatory Technical/Vocational Education. - It shall be the duty of the State to provide 
mandatory technical/vocational education to out-of-school youth. The course shall be provided 
and/or managed by TESDA in accordance with its Training Regulations. 
 
SEC. 13. Education Cost and Support. - The technical/vocational education shall be offered by the 
State free of charge to the out-of-school youth. The State shall likewise provide materials, 
instruments, and tools that the out-of-school youth may need while enrolled in a technical/vocational 
course, as well as sufficient allowance to cover transportation and other related costs for the duration 
of the training. 
 
SEC. 14. Skills Development Coordinators at the LGUs. - The LGUs, through the Community 
Training and Employment Coordinators (CTECs) or duly designated LGU personnel, shall have the 
responsibility of monitoring the progress and development of the OSYs in the chosen 
technical/vocational course by requiring the technical vocational institutions (TVIs) to submit, 
among others, regular enrollment and completion reports of the programs being implemented. 
 
SEC. 15. Promotion to Formal Tertiary Education. - The local Social Welfare and Development 
Officer may recommend an out-of-school youth to be a recipient of a scholarship program from the 
CHED under either Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education or 
Republic Act No. 10687 or the Unified Student Financial System for Tertiary Education Act 
(UniFAST). 
 
SEC. 16. Entrepreneurial Education. - The DTI, in coordination with TESDA and other relevant 
government agencies, shall conduct a training program to provide the out-of-school youth with the 
knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success. The program shall include 
small business management education and new approaches on how to promote innovation or 
introduce new products or services to the markets. 
 
SEC. 17. Alternative Learning System. - The Alternative Learning Mode of Education shall be made 
available to out-of-school youth in the barangays. 
 
For out-of-school youth who are in the custody of a home or an institution managed by the DSWD, 
the latter shall coordinate with the DepEd for the provision of Alternative Learning System within its 
premises. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURIAL FACILITATION 
 


SEC. 18. Employment. - An out-of-school youth who has the capacity and desire to work shall be 
provided employment opportunities to enable them to be productive members of the society 
 
SEC. 19. Entrepreneurial Facilitation. - The State shall establish a community-based method of 
addressing the needs and barriers facing out-of-school youth entrepreneurs. The objective is to 
encourage and develop a diverse and robust local entrepreneurial economy that will lead to more 
opportunities for the enterprising out-of-school youth. 
 
SEC. 20. Right to Decent Work. - The State shall progressively grant and ensure decent work 
standards for out-of-school youth who have graduated in TVET courses, which shall include, but not 
be limited, to the following minimum guarantees: 
 
(a) Local job generation and employment, as well as other economic opportunities for TVET 
graduates, providing strict regulations against their forced and involuntary displacement; 
 
(b) Promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of migrant TVET graduates regardless of 
their work status, and protection against discrimination in wages, conditions of work, and 
employment opportunities in host countries; and 
 
(c) Opportunities for work shall be productive and fairly remunerative as family living wage, 
security of tenure in the workplace, and better prospects for personal development and social 
integration. 
 
SEC. 21. Social Protection. - The State shall endeavor that out-of-school youth workers and TVET 
graduates acquire a mandatory life, accident, and health insurance coverage to be provided by their 
employer. The State shall also institute policies and programs that seek to reduce poverty as well as 
vulnerability to risks of out-of-school youth by protecting against hazards of sudden loss of income, 
and improving his/her capacity to manage risks. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCE 
 
SEC. 22. Especially Difficult Circumstances. - Out-of-school youth who are in especially difficult 
circumstances such as victims of sexual and physical abuse, illegal recruitment, prostitution, 
trafficking, armed conflict, out-of-school youth in conflict with the law, and such other related 
circumstances which have caused their functional incapacity in the society, shall be provided with 
services and interventions as necessary, such as, but not limited to, the following: 
 
(a) Temporary protective custody 
 
(b) Medical and dental services; 
 
(c) Psychological evaluation; 
 
(d) Counseling; 
 
(e) Psychiatric evaluation; 
 
(f) Legal services; 
 


(g) Productivity skill capability building; 
 
(h) Livelihood assistance; 
 
(i) Financial assistance; 
 
(j) Life skills training; and 
 
(k) Health education and Information 
 
SEC. 23. Inter-agency Support. - The DSWD, Department of Justice, DOH and DepEd, in coordination 
with the appropriate LGU, shall lead in facilitating, implementing, monitoring and planning programs 
for the rehabilitation of the out-of-school youth, 
 
SEC. 24. Duty of the LGU. - It is the duty of the LGU where the out-of-school youth resides to deliver 
the services and interventions necessary under their respective jurisdictions. 
 
 
CHAPTER IX 
ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT 
 
SEC. 25. Advisory Council. - The Advisory Council created under Republic Act No. 8044 or the Youth 
in Nation Building Act shall plan, coordinate and monitor yearly work programs in pursuance of the 
objectives of this Act. It shall also create and implement a National Comprehensive Multi-Stakeholder 
Plan of Action for Out-of-School Youth. 
The Advisory Council shall also coordinate with, and ensure that the relevant agencies of the 
Government have appropriate programs for the out-of-school youth in accordance with the 
objectives of this Act. 
 
SEC. 26. Local Social Welfare and Development Officer. - The local Social Welfare and 
Development Officer shall assist in the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act and shall 
have the following functions: 
 
(a) To draw up a list of available and required services which can be provided for out-of-school 
youth; 
 
(b) To maintain and regularly update on an annual basis the list of out-of-school youth and to 
issue nationally uniform individual identification cards free of charge, which shall be valid 
anywhere in the country; 
 
(c) To serve as a general information and liaison center to serve the needs of the out-of-school 
youth; 
 
(d) To coordinate with the Advisory Council to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act; 
 
(e) To report to the mayor, any individual, establishment, business entity, institution, or agency 
found in violation of any provision of this Act; and 
 
(f) To require government institutions as well as private establishments to prominently display 
notices that will generate public awareness on the right and welfare of out-of-school youth. 


 
SEC. 27. Role of Non-Government Organizations. - Non-government organizations or private 
volunteer organizations dedicated to the promotion, enhancement, and support of the welfare of out-
of-school youth are hereby encouraged to become partners of government in the implementation of 
programs and projects for the out-of-school youth. 
 
CHAPTER X 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
SEC. 28. Penalties. - Any person who violates any provision of this Act shall. upon conviction, suffer 
the following penalties: 
 
(a) For the first violation, imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than two 
(2) years and a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand pesos (P50,000.00) but not more than 
One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00); 
 
(b) For any subsequent violation, imprisonment of not less than two (2) years but not more than 
six (6) years and a fine of not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) but not 
more than Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (P200,000.00); and 
 
(c)  Any person who not being qualified under this Act or with deceit and fraudulent machination 
shall avail of any of the benefits and privileges granted under this Act shall suffer the penalty 
of imprisonment for not less than six (6) months but not more than two (2) years and a fine 
of not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand 
Pesos (P100,000.00). 
 
If the offender is a corporation, organization or any similar entity, the officials thereof directly 
involved in the commission of the act in violation of any of the provisions of this Act shall be held 
liable. 
 
If the offender is an alien or foreigner, he shall be deported immediately upon service of sentence 
without further proceedings. 
 
Upon filing of the appropriate complaint or information, the proper authorities, in coordination with 
the concerned LGU, shall cause the cancellation or revocation of the business permit, permit to 
operate, franchise, and other similar privileges granted to any business, entity or person that fails to 
abide by or violates the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC. 29. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this 
Act, the Advisory Council, TESDA, and DSWD shall promulgate the implementing rules and 
regulations as may be necessary to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of this Act, in 
consultation with the National Youth Commission (NYC), Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), 
other stakeholders including NGOs or peoples organizations, for the out-of-school youth duly 
accredited by the DSWD. 
 
SEC. 30. Appropriations. - The necessary appropriations for the initial implementation of this Act 
shall be appropriated from any available funds from the National Treasury Thereafter, any such sums 
as may be needed for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act of the respective agencies. 
 


SEC. 31. Separability Clause. - Should any part of this Act be declared unconstitutional, the rest of 
the provisions of this Act not affected shall continue to be in effect and subsisting. 
SEC. 32. Repealing Clause. - The provisions of other laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 33. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,