HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

~ RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines pate) 0 JUN 2016

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES nm, Jose
Constitution Hills, Quezon City + i LE
REUSTA TION ONT

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS BILLS. AND INDE x scixvig
First Regular Session

644

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Harlin Neil J. Abayon III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to institutionalize the countrywide implementation of the Jobstart
Philippines Program and providing funds therefor. JobStart is a partnership program of
the DOLE, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) which aims to increase the employability of the youth by
providing them access to technical and life skills training demanded by employers and
by mentoring and tooling them to improve their job searches and outcomes.

The project will also finance vouchers that will enable some 1,600 youth-
beneficiaries to gain work experience in companies through on-the-job training.

Youth unemployment, while it had decreased by 1.1 percent, or by 13,000-from
16.8 percent in April 2013 to 15.7 percent in April 2014-still accounts for almost half, or
49.8 percent, of the country’s total unemployed placed at 2.924 million.!

There are 1.456 million unemployed youth as of April 2014, according to the
Philippine Statistical Authority’s Labor Force Survey, accounting for 16 percent of the
total youth labor force of 9.254 million. The youth belong to the 15-24 age bracket.

DOLE had initially chosen four areas for the JobStart pilot program and these are
Quezon City, with 900 allotted beneficiaries; Taguig City, 240; City of San Fernando,
Pampanga, 360; and General Trias, Cavite, 100. A number of employers have also
pledged internships for the youth beneficiaries in their companies. In Quezon City, 11
companies offered 514 internship slots. Taguig City had 13 companies with 307
internship offers. In the city of San Fernando in Pampanga, 40 companies had offered
629 internship slots, and in General Trias in Cavite, 10 companies have slots for 215
interns.?

The JobStart Program is a pivotal step in improving the youth employment
situation in the country through the effective delivery of current labor market

1 Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz
20.G,,"DOLE set to launch JobStart Philippines...” June 17, 2014.


information, employment services, skills-jobs matching mechanisms, and other job
search reforms.

Immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

mame J. ABAYON III

Representative
Party-List AANGAT TAYO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 644

Introduced by Representative Harlin Neil J. Abayon IIT

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE COUNTRYWIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
JOBSTART PHILIPPINES PROGRAM AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 “National Jobstart
Philippines Program Act.”

SECTION 2. Training and Internship. The program shall provide skills and
technical training including full employment facilitation services such as (1) Career
Guidance and Coaching, to be provided by PESO staff and other trained career
guidance coaches and advocates; (2) Life Skills training for eight days; (3) Technical
skills training for up to three months; and (4) Company-based internships for up to six
months.

SECTION 3. Beneficiaries. The program requires participants from 18 to 24 years
old, high school graduate, not employed, studying nor undergoing training at the time
of registration and with less than one year or no work experience. The interns will
receive stipends of between P200 to P300 during their training and 75 percent of
minimum wage during their six-month internship. On the other hand, employers will
receive P9,000 in training fee per intern they will accommodate.

SECTION 4. Training costs. The JobStart Unit shall provide the establishment
the training costs, trainees’ stipends, allowances, administrative costs, or other fees, if
any, as specified under an approved signed Memorandum of Agreement between
DOLE and the establishment and /or local government unit concerned.

SECTION 5. Government agencies. The JobStart is a partnership program of the
Department of Labor and Employment and other government agencies, including Local
Government Units (LGUs), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and representatives from the youth,
emplover. and labor sector.


SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at
least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,