Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _________
Introduced by Hon. Charisse Anne C. Hernandez
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a slowdown in the economy,
leading to the closure or limited operations of various businesses. A vast number of Filipinos,
including those employed overseas, are now confronted with the harsh reality of job losses or
reduced employment opportunities. There is a prevailing belief that the extended duration of the
pandemic will have a substantial and overwhelming impact on the survival of numerous
companies.
This new paradigm, shaped by COVID-19, is anticipated to resemble a "survival of the
fittest" scenario, affecting businesses of all sizes - whether they are large, medium, small, or
micro. Economic opportunities are expected to be scarce and limited. In response to this
situation, it is imperative for the Philippine Government to address the challenges and mitigate
the adverse effects of unemployment, thereby preventing further complications to the country's
economic landscape.
May 29, 2023
9:00 am
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Hence, this proposed bill aims to establish the "Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan", which
entails coordinated efforts among government departments, agencies, and local government units
to generate job opportunities and provide training for Filipinos. These jobs may be available for
both skilled and unskilled workers in various government offices, projects, and initiatives, such
as infrastructure development, healthcare programs, environmental cleaning and management,
maintenance of government-owned infrastructure, reforestation, flood control, conservation
projects, and the enhancement of national parks, forests, and historic sites, among others. By
doing so, this program not only creates employment for millions of Filipinos but also plays a
significant role in helping the country overcome the profound crisis brought about by the
pandemic.
It is incumbent upon us, lawmakers, to create policies that will safeguard the rights of our
labor force as mandated by the 1987 Constitution, Article II, Section 18, "The State affirms labor
as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their
welfare". Further, Article XIII, Section 3 states, "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". Moreover, the Constitution guarantees that they shall be
“entitled to security of tenure, humane conditions of work, and a living wage".
The “Trabaho Para Sa Bayan” Bill has been passed in the Senate and this bill is being
filed in the House of Representatives as a counterpart measure.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
CHARISSE ANNE C. HERNANDEZ
Representative
Lone District, Calamba City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _________
Introduced by Hon. Charisse Anne C. Hernandez
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT MASTER PLAN, TO BE KNOWN
AS
THE
"TRABAHO
PARA
SA
BAYAN
PLAN,"
APPROPRIATING
FUNDS
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
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 "Trabaho Para sa Bayan
Act"
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to afford full protection to
labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, promote full, productive and freely chosen
employment and livelihood, and ensure equitable employment opportunities for all, irrespective
of sex, race, color, religion, political opinion, ethnicity or social origin. Accordingly, the State
shall, in pursuit of poverty reduction through decent jobs, sustainable enterprises, and economic
transformation, ensure an environment that encourages more employment and entrepreneurship
opportunities, provide comprehensive support to existing and emerging businesses, particularly
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to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and improve the employability,
productivity, and competitiveness of Filipino workers. In order to carry out the policies of this
Act, the "Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan," as provided herein, shall serve as the State's master plan
on employment generation and recovery to realize short-term and long-term goals and visions for
the country. It shall have the following objectives:
(a) To stimulate national and local economic growth and development through various
means, including, but not limited to, aligning investment and other incentives provided by law to
the creation of more decent employment and other work opportunities to address unemployment,
underemployment,
youth
unemployment,
rising
precarity
and
informality
of
working
arrangements, reintegration of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and other challenges in the
labor market;
(b) To promote the employability, competitiveness, wellness, and productivity of workers
through efficient, effective, and timely delivery of industry-relevant skills training and
enhancement programs, reintegration pathways, active labor market activities, and other services
to allow workers to gain access to and maximize opportunities in the labor market;
(c) To provide support and incentives to businesses, whether existing or emerging,
particularly
MSMEs,
including increased access to financing and capital, to promote
self-reliance,
spur
employment
generation,
and
ensure the security and protection of
employment; and
(d)
To
incentivize
employers,
industry
stakeholders,
and
other
private
sector
organizations that offer training, technology, knowledge and skills transfer, upskilling and
reskilling, enterprise-based training, such as apprenticeship, work immersion, or on-the-job
training, and other similar activities.
SEC. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to national, regional, and local government
units (LGUs), without prejudice to the right of the Bangsamoro Government and its component
LGUs to adopt and implement projects and programs for labor and employment, consistent with
national policies, laws, rules and regulations.
SEC. 4. Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan; Action Components, Success Measures, and Key
Performance Indicators. - The Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan (TPB Plan) shall be the State's


employment generation and recovery master plan. It shall include a three (3)-year, six (6)-year,
and ten (l0)-year development timeline for its vision, mission, goals, and milestones.
The Trabaho Para sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council created under Section 5 of this Act
shall formulate success measures, key performance indicators, and action components, including:
(a)
Providing support for the establishment, business continuity, and growth of
MSMEs, including start-ups, through increased access to financing, capital, and other
incentives, transition of informal MSMEs to formality, and other support mechanisms;
(b)
Skilling, upskilling, and reskilling the workforce, including industry-relevant
skills and core skills, to improve their employability and competitiveness and to foster
lifelong learning, taking into consideration the nuanced needs of workers from
marginalized or vulnerable sectors;
(c)
Encouraging and providing incentives to employers and other private sector
organizations, including industry stakeholders, that offer training, technology, knowledge
and
skills
transfer,
upskilling
and
reskilling,
enterprise-based training, such as
apprenticeship, work immersion, or on-the-job training, recognition of prior learning and
experience, and other similar activities geared towards the improvement of the
workforce;
(d)
Empowering the workforce on their rights and obligations under the Philippine
Constitution, Presidential Decree No. 442, or the Labor Code of the Philippines, and
other rules and regulations, including the right to self-organization, freedom of
association, and collective bargaining, through orientations, seminars, and similar modes;
(e)
Identifying priority sectors, key and emerging industries, and other activities with
high employment potential for various purposes, such as encouraging domestic and
foreign direct investments, implementing targeted interventions and subsidies, and
providing support to create value-adding supply chain;
(f)
Expanding the implementation of active labor market policies, information, and
programs, including employment facilitation and reintegration support for OFWs, and
utilizing innovative means to improve accessibility and efficiency in delivering such
services;


(g)
Enhancing tripartism and social dialogue among workers, employers, and the
government, and increasing the participation and representation of marginalized and
vulnerable sectors in various labor issues and concerns;
(h)
Addressing youth unemployment by, among others, identifying challenges in the
school-to-work transition of new entrants in the labor market, including challenges
confronting youth not engaged in education, employment or training (NEET);
(i)
Provide support to, and promote the welfare of, all workers in new forms of work
arrangements, such as freelance work, whether in-person or through online platforms or
gig economy;
(j)
Formulating integrated plans and incentives to encourage and facilitate the
transition of workers and enterprises from the informal to the formal economy through
enabling interventions, such as, but not limited to, business registration, financial literacy
programs, and enrollment in social protection programs, such as the Social Security
System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Home
Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG);
(k)
Promoting the adoption of ethical and fair recruitment standards and practices to
protect the rights of migrant workers, promote decent work, and enhance the global
competitiveness of Filipino workers;
(l)
Promoting access to and utilization of digital infrastructure in doing business
among MSMEs and informal economic units to overcome the digital divide; and
(m)
Contributing to the implementation of the full-cycle and comprehensive national
reintegration program for documented and undocumented OFWs.
SEC. 5. Trabaho Para sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council (TPB-IAC). - The TPB-IAC is
hereby established, which shall be composed of the following:
(a)
Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA),
as Chairperson;
(b)
Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as Co-Chairperson;
(c)
Secretary
of
the
Department
of
Labor
and
Employment
(DOLE)
as
Co-Chairperson;


(d)
Director-General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), as member;
(e)
Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), as member;
(f)
Secretary of the Department of Finance (DOF), as member;
(g)
Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), as
member;
(h)
One (1) representative from the employers' organizations;
(i)
One (1) representative from the labor organizations;
(j)
One (1) representative from the marginalized or vulnerable sector; and
(k)
One (1) representative from the informal sector.
The TPB-IAC shall meet at least every quarter or as often as may be necessary. The
TPB-IAC chairpersons and members may designate their representatives, who shall have at least
the rank of Assistant Secretary or its equivalent, and who must be fully authorized to decide for
and on behalf of the agency represented.
The Secretariat of the TPB-IAC shall be composed of dedicated personnel from NEDA,
DTI, and DOLE, which shall provide administrative, operational, and technical support to the
TPB-IAC.
The TPB-IAC shall engage other government agencies and instrumentalities, as well as
representatives from the labor and employers' organizations, marginalized or vulnerable sectors,
and informal sectors, as may be necessary.
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions of the TPB-IAC. - The TPB-IAC shall have the following
powers and functions:
(a) Formulate the TPB Plan that shall include action components, success measures, and
key performance indicators as provided under this Act and such other strategies and activities as
may be necessary;
(b) Monitor, review, evaluate and update, as necessary, the TPB Plan, its implementation
and accomplishments, and identify gaps in execution, and recommend improvements;
(c) Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the employment situation and labor market in
the country, global employment and economic trends, existing policies and programs affecting
the workforce and specific workers in particular sectors, and map initiatives undertaken with the


support of the private sector, non-government organizations, or international development
organizations;
(d) Review and streamline all existing policies, plans, programs, projects, and all
existing inter-agency councils, and provide directions for the alignment of their efforts with the
TPB Plan to avoid duplication of functions, ensure effective use of resources, and harmonize and
complement all governmental efforts;
(e) Assist LCDs in planning, devising, and implementing employment generation and
recovery plans and programs within their localities, and ensure their alignment with the TPB
Plan;
(f) Craft and provide guidelines for the institutionalization of the TPB Plan in each
government agency; and
(g) Perform such other functions that may be related to the implementation of the TPB
Plan.
SEC. 7. Establishment of TPB-IAC Working Groups. - To pursue the implementation of
the TPB Plan, working groups may be established by the TPB-IAC, as may be necessary. The
creation of working groups shall be in line with the objectives and targets as may be indicated in
the TPB Plan, and shall work on developing and/or enhancing employment generation and
recovery in specific industries and emerging sectors, such as, but not limited to, health services,
construction, tourism, agriculture, IT and business process management, and manufacturing, as
well as working groups on thematic areas. Each working group shall be chaired by a government
agency, as may be designated by the TPB-IAC. Industry sector representatives may also be
represented and shall participate in the working groups.
SEC. 8. Government Job Provision. - The Civil Service Commission (CSC), Commission
on Audit (COA), and DBM, in consultation with relevant government agencies and LGUs, shail
conduct an analysis and review of the existing hiring policies and standards of the government,
including, but not limited to, the skills and competencies required, streamlining and improving
the processes of recruitment and selection, and identifying the appropriate manpower needs of
the government.


SEC. 9. Role of Other Government Agencies. - All government agencies, including
LGUs, shall:
(a) Cooperate and coordinate with the TPB-IAC in the alignment and integration of the
TPB Plan with their policies and programs; and
(b) If requested, provide the necessary information to the TPB-IAC to realize the
objectives of this Act.
SEC. 10. Reporting Requirements. - The TPB-IAC shall submit an annual report to the
Office of the President, the Senate of the Philippines, and the House of Representatives on the
following:
(a) Timeline and status of implementation and accomplishments of each action
component in the TPB Plan;
(b) Evaluation of policies, plans, programs, and projects of relevant government agencies;
(c) Recommendations for possible policy interventions to improve and address identified
labor market challenges in the TPB Plan; and
(d) Other information that may be relevant.
The reports shall be made publicly available through the respective websites of the
relevant government agencies.
SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within one hundred eighty (180) days
from the effectivity of this Act, NEDA, DTI, and DOLE, in coordination with all the members of
the TPB-IAC, other concerned agencies and private stakeholders, shall jointly formulate the
implementing rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
SEC. 12. Appropriations. - The amount needed for the initial implementation of this Act
shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the departments/agencies concerned.
Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.


SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provision of this Act that is declared
unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or provisions
hereof as long as such remaining portions can still subsist and be given effect in their entirety.
SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
presidential proclamations, letters of instructions, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.
SEC. 15. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,