SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Senate
S. B. No. 
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RECEIVLD BY;
Prepared and submitted by the Committees on Labor, Employment and Human 
Resources Development; Education Arts and Culture; and Finance 
__________________ with Sen. Joel Villanueva as author___________________
AN ACT
INSTITUTING A PHILIPPINE LABOR FORCE COMPETENCIES 
COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAM, ESTABLISHING FREE ACCESS TO 
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
ARTICLE I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the Tulong-Trabaho 
Act of 2017.”
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  The Philippine Constitution provides that the 
State shall promote a just and dynamic social 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. For this purpose, the Constitution 
encourages non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning systems, as well as self­
learning, independent, and out-of-school study programs, particularly those that 
respond to community needs.
SEC. 3. Objectives. -  The objectives of this Act shall be:
(a) 
To strengthen the qualifications of the Filipino workforce to meet the challenges 
of the rapidly evolving workplaces and work structures;
(b) 
To provide for more innovative approaches to education and training linked to 
the requirement of industry;
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(c) 
To facilitate access to quality technical education and training: and
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(d) 
To encourage the participation of industry and communities in competencies 
formation and upgrading towards a more competitive Filipino workforce.


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SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. -  The following terms shall be used in this Act:
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(a) 
Competency refers to the standard knowledge, skills, attitude, and values
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required to complete a work activity in a particular job, trade, or occupation.
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(b) Competency-based learning system refers to a system by which the learner
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is trained on the basis of demonstrated ability.
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(c) 
Direct training expenses refers to item of costs that are specifically traced to,
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or caused by the training, and includes consumables used in the course of the
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program, training supplies, materials, utilities, venue and equipment, trainers’
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fees and other related expenditures.
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(d) Formal education refers to the systematic and deliberate process of
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hierarchically structured and sequential learning corresponding to the general
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concept of elementary and secondary level of schooling. At the end of each
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level, the learner needs a certification in order to enter or advance to the next
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level.
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(e) Informal Education refers to a lifelong process of learning by which every
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person acquires and accumulates knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from
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daily experiences at home, at work, at play and from life itself.
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(f) Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and Certification System refers
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to a quality-assured system in recognition of the attainment of competencies
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(knowledge, skills, attitudes and values) as referred to the competency
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standards set for middle-level occupation. It is the process of determining the
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qualification level of a person and a tool in identifying the training needs of a
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person with competency gaps.
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(g) 
Program refers to the Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness
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Program established in accordance with this Act.
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(h) 
TESDA refers to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
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(I) 
Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) -  refers to the
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education or training process involving general education, the study of
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technologies and related sciences, acquisition of practical skills relating to
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occupations in various sectors of economic and social life, and comprises
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formal (organized programs as part of the school system) and non-formal
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(organized classes outside the school system) approaches.
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SEC. 5. Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program.
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— There 
shall 
be 
established 
a 
Philippine 
Labor 
Force 
Competencies
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Competitiveness Program in accordance with Section 17 of this Act, and which shall
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be funded through the Tulong-Trabaho Fund created in accordance with Section 6 of
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this Act.


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ARTICLE II
THE TULONG-TRABAHO FUND
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SEC. 6. Tulong-Trabaho Fund. -  There shall be established a Tulong-
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Trabaho Fund that shall provide qualified recipients with access to TVET training
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programs through the full payment of the selected programs’ training fees, as well as
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the possibility of providing additional financial assistance such as transportation
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allowance and laboratory fees, as needed.
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SEC. 7. Funding. -  The funds necessary for the implementation of this Act
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shall be included in the General Appropriations Act. The appropriated amount shall
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be sufficient for free technical education and training and shall be used to fund the
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training of qualified applicants for qualifications in key employment generating
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sectors.
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SEC. 8. Scope of Financial Assistance. -  The Tulong-Trabaho Fund shall
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be used to pay the fees of qualified recipients in Selected Training Programs (STPs)
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selected in accordance with Section 10 of this Act.
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SEC. 9. Qualified Recipients. -  Access to the Tulong-Trabaho Fund shall be
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made available to (i) any person at least fifteen (15) years of age who are not
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employed, not in education, and not in training (“NEET”), and (ii) employed workers,
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who intend to develop and expand their current skills and training.
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SEC. 10. Management of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund. -  TESDA shall be
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primarily responsible for managing the Tulong-Trabaho Fund. For this purpose, the
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TESDA Board shall promulgate the policies and guidelines to implement the
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Program.
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The TESDA Board shall also have the power to receive donations from both
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government and non-government organizations to be used strictly and exclusively for
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the beneficiaries and qualified applicants of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund.
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SEC. 11. Determination of Selected Training Programs. -  The TESDA
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Board shall approve the final list of Selected Training Programs (STPs) eligible to
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receive funding from the Tulong-Trabaho Fund based on the initial recommendation
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of the TESDA Secretariat. STPs may be school-based, center-based, community-
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based or enterprise-based programs and shall be determined based on the following
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considerations:
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(a) 
The latest issuances of Labor Market Intelligence Reports;
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(b) 
Quantitative and qualitative data on employment opportunities to be provided
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by the Department of Labor and Employment;
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(c) 
Quantitative and qualitative data on jobs and skills matching, as determined by
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TESDA;
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(d) 
The Human Resource Development Roadmaps; and


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(e) 
Other quantitative and qualitative studies to be determined necessary by the
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TESDA Board in its selection of STPs,
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Provided, that the TESDA Board may, in its discretion, adopt additional bases
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to achieve the objectives of this Act.
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The TESDA Board shall release the initial list of available STPs within two (2) 
months from the effectivity of this Act, and shall update such list in accordance with 
the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 12. Determination of Quaiified Recipients. -  The heads of entities 
seeking funding for STPs shall submit a list of trainees who have requested 
assistance from the Tulong-Trabaho Fund to the TESDA Regional Directors. The 
TESDA Regional Directors shall assess the recipients and submit a list of qualified 
recipients to the TESDA Director General for his/her approval.
The list of qualified recipients shall be periodically updated depending on the 
availability of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund and the number of STPs.
SEC. 13. -  Evaiuation of Assistance Given to Schoois and Training 
Centers. -  The TESDA Board shall periodically evaluate schools and training 
centers that receive funding from the Tulong-Trabaho Fund. These recipient- 
institutions shall ensure that at least 70% of the beneficiaries of the Tulong-Trabaho 
Fund are able to pass the Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and 
Certification System. Failure to meet the passing rate shall subject the school or 
training center to performance review and audit by the TESDA Board.
The TESDA Board shall have the discretion to provide other criteria and 
standards to determine whether the school or center shall continue to receive 
financial assistance through the Tulong-Trabaho Fund.
SEC. 14. Public Online Registry. -  TESDA shall create a registry of schools 
and training centers that offers STPs, a database of qualified recipients of financial 
assistance and a list of graduates of these programs. These lists shall be accessible 
through the website of the TESDA.
SEC. 15. Evaluation. -  The TESDA Board shall release an annual report to be 
made available to the public on the management of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund, 
including the appropriations from the General Appropriations Act, donations from 
private and other organizations, expenditures, performance of the qualified recipients 
and other pertinent information as may be necessary in accordance with the principle 
of fair and full disclosure.
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ARTICLE III
DEVELOPMENT MODALITIES AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS
SEC. 16. Primary Duty of TESDA. -  TESDA shall design and implement the 
support systems necessary to achieve the objectives of this Act, particularly the


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development of additional TVET programs and the improvement of existing TVET
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programs. 
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SEC. 17. Support Systems for the Development of the Program. -
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Consistent with the recognition that a TVET program must be based on developing
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competencies and focused on learning outcomes to be relevant to changing
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demands, TESDA shall ensure that qualified recipients of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund
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are appropriately trained and their competencies are regularly updated.
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For this purpose, appropriate standards, proper planning, trainers’ training
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and certification, competency assessment and certification and quality assurance
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system shall be put in place to ensure that entrants’ to the Program shall be
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sufficiently equipped. In addition, the development of modalities and programs for
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employed workers and accumulation of new learning modules shall be undertaken to
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upgrade competencies of employed workers.
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The participation of industries and engagement of local governments shall
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also be sought.
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ARTICLE IV
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
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SEC. 18. Oversight Committee. -  A joint oversight committee, composed of
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the chairpersons of the Committee on Labor of the Senate and the House of
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Representatives, shall be convened in order to review, the performance of the
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Tulong-Trabaho Fund.
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SEC. 19. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  The TESDA shall, in
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consultation with relevant stakeholders, issue the implementing rules and regulations
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of this Act within a period of ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this Act.
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SEC. 20. Separability Clause. -  If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid
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or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected
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shall remain valid and subsisting.
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SEC. 21. Repealing Clause. -  Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary
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to or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or
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amended accordingly.
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SEC. 22. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
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its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
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Approved.