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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
25 AUG 20 P3:34
RECEIVED BY:
SENATE
s. No._L22a
Introduced by Senator Raffy T. Tulfo
AN ACT
ENSURING THAT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES UNDER THE K TO 12 
PROGRAM ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING, AND SKILLS 
DEMANDED IN THE LABOR MARKET, ENHANCING THEIR EMPLOYABILITY AND 
COMPETITIVENESS, PROMOTING THE AFFIRMATIVE HIRING OF EVERY 
GRADUATE OF BASIC EDUCATION IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS, 
CREATING THE BATANG MAGALING COUNCILS TO STRENGTHEN MULTI­
STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR EMPLOYMENT, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Benjamin Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." 
Investing in the education of a country not only uplifts the lives of each citizen, but it also 
creates a competitive workforce that drives the economy to progress. Even more so, it is 
crucial that there is a parallel increase in better job opportunities.
Article XIV, Section 2(1) of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall 
establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of 
education relevant to the needs of the people and society. In line with this mandate. 
Republic Act No. 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, was enacted to 
provide an educational system that equips students with the necessary skills and 
knowledge to be considered employable and job-ready upon completing Senior High 
School (SHS), along with addressing the needs of our society.
Under R.A. 10533, the K to 12 program envisions graduates as empowered 
individuals who have learned, through a program rooted in sound educational principles 
and geared toward excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life and the
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competence to engage in work and be productive.1 However, being equipped and job- 
ready is only one part of the equation; graduates must also have access to job 
opportunities and job security, as emphasized in Article XIII, Section 3 of the 1987 
Constitution, which provides that the State shall afford full protection to labor and 
promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all.
In a survey conducted among 299 companies by the Philippine Business for 
Education (PBEd) in July 2024, it discovered that four (4) out of five (5) are willing to hire 
senior high school (SHS) graduates and two (2) out of five (5) are ready with policies in 
place to hire them.2 However, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there 
has been an increase in the unemployment rate of SHS graduates in January 2025 with 
an estimate of 11% compared to January 2024 with an estimated SHS graduate 
unemployment rate of 10.1%.3 It is apparent that the search for employment remains to 
be an obstacle for SHS graduates despite being considered to be employable by the end 
of the curriculum.
On March 6, 2025, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) updated its guidelines under 
CSC Resolution No. 2500229 consequently revising the educational requirements to 
reflect the changes in the national education system. Graduates of the K-12 curriculum 
are now eligible for first-level government positions.4 While this resolution gives greater 
recognition to the capabilities of SHS graduates, accommodating the majority of them in 
first-level government positions would not be sufficient. Thus, the private sector should 
likewise emulate these efforts to further close the gap in the unemployment of SHS 
graduates.
This bill, or the Batang Magaling Act, seeks to develop capacity-building and 
professional development programs that respond to the needs of various industries while 
ensuring the job readiness of the younger workforce. Furthermore, the bill aims to 
address the challenges that SHS graduates face concerning employability by encouraging
1 https://www.officialaazette.aov.Dh/2013/05/15/reDublic-act-no-10533/
2 https://pbed.ph/news/pbed-nnore-companies-open-and-alreadv-hirina-l<-12-arads/
3 https ://psa .gov, ph/statistics/labor-force-survev/node/1684066820
4 https://www.csc.aov.ph/csc-revises-qualification-standards-to-allow-senior-hiah-school-araduates-entrv-
into-aovernment-service


private corporations to invest in SHS graduates not only through employment but also 
through training.
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
RAFFY T. TULFO


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S. No. 1223
Jennie
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25 HUG 20 P3 34
RECEIVED BV:
Introduced by Senator Raffy T. Tulfo
AN ACT
ENSURING THAT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES UNDER THE K TO 12 
PROGRAM ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING, AND SKILLS 
DEMANDED IN THE LABOR MARKET, ENHANCING THEIR EMPLOYABILITY AND 
COMPETITIVENESS, PROMOTING THE AFFIRMATIVE HIRING OF EVERY 
GRADUATE OF BASIC EDUCATION IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS, 
CREATING THE BATANG MAGALING COUNCILS TO STRENGTHEN MULTI­
STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR EMPLOYMENT, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress Assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shail be known as the "Batang Magaiing Act"
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to establish, maintain,
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and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the
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needs of the people and society. The State shall also afford full protection to labor, and
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promote full employment and equality of employment opportunities for all. In line with
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this, it is hereby declared the policy of the State that every graduate of basic education
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shall be an empowered individual who has acquired the competence to engage in
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productive work and the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global
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communities. For this purpose, this Act seeks to enhance employability and
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competitiveness in the workforce, minimize impediments to employment, and promote
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the affirmative hiring of every graduate of basic education.
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Sec. 3. Objective. - This Act shall ensure that the Philippine basic education
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system, as enhanced under Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10533 or the "Enhanced Basic


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Education Act of 2013," will produce Senior High School (SHS) graduates who are
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equipped with knowledge, training and skills demanded in the labor market, whether they
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have chosen the higher education, middle-level skills development, employment, or
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entrepreneurship exit, thereby enhancing their employability and competitiveness in the
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workforce.
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Sec. 4. Creation of the Batang Magaling National and Local Councils; Strengthening
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Multi-Stakeholder Linkages and Collaboration; The Batang Magaling Roadmap. - To a lig n
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the tracks and strands of the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum under R.A. No. 10533
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with the needs of the labor market, a National Batang Magaling Council (National Council)
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shall be created composed of the Department of Education (DepEd), the Technical
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Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Labor and
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Employment (DOLE), three (3) national industry partners, one (1) national labor group,
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and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines.
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Local Batang Magaling Councils (Local Councils) shall likewise be formed at the
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provincial, city, and municipal levels to ensure that SHS graduates are equipped with
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education, training, and skills demanded by industry partners and government agencies.
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The Local Councils shall be composed of the provincial, city, or municipal local school
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boards (LSBs), the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), at least two (2) industry
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partners in the locality, a representative of the TESDA provincial office, and a local
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employee organization or association.
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Every education institution offering the SHS Program shall regularly consult with
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the Local Council at least twice a year to be guided by the actions of the Council, especially
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the roadmap in paragraph e hereunder. The Council shall serve as a mechanism for active
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collaboration and meaningful communication for the fulfillment of the following purposes:
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a. provision of information to the education institutions for the updating and
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alignment of the curricular offerings and the work immersion component of
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the SHS program with the market needs as identified by industry partners
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and government agencies;


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b. increase in the awareness and commitment of industry partners and 
government agencies to accept learners in Work Immersion Programs 
(WIPs), ensure that their deployment is done according to their tracks or 
specialization courses, and enable them to acquire specialized skills and 
competencies to advance in their chosen path;
c. enabling the LSBs to provide relevant data and information to the 
stakeholders, increase their awareness of their mutual issues and concerns 
on the employability of SHS graduates in the locality, discuss and analyze 
the duties and risks involved in WIPs, and give local incentives to recognize 
best practices on collaboration;
d. crafting of the WIPs of education institutions offering the SHS Program 
within a province, city, or municipality and ensuring that the curriculum is 
aligned with industry needs, learners meet the minimum requirements of 
the work immersion industry partners and government agencies, and 
learners develop competencies and acquire skills that are industry-based to 
improve their work readiness and employability; and
e. development of local Batang Magaling Roadmaps, to be evaluated and 
updated every three (3) years, at the provincial, city, and municipal levels 
that shall introduce interventions and set measurable goals on enhancing 
the employability, competitiveness, and productivity of SHS graduates, 
including but not limited to an increase or improvement in the following: 
the number of industry partners and government agencies participating in 
the WIPs; the number of SHS learners deployed under the WIPs according 
to their tracks or specialization courses; and the rate of employment of SHS 
graduates in jobs aligned to their skills. As such, the local roadmap shall 
include the skills demanded by industry partners in the locality vis-a-vis the 
needed knowledge, training, and skills of SHS graduates to match the said 
demand, using the labor market demand forecast under Sec. 6, and the 
skills database under Sec. 7 hereof.


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Taking into consideration the iocai roadmaps developed at the 
provincial, city, and municipal levels, the National Council shall craft a 
parallel National Batang Magaling Roadmap to achieve the objective under 
Sec. 3 of this Act. The provincial Local Councils shall similarly craft their 
respective Provincial Batang Magaling Roadmaps based on the Municipal 
and Component Cities Batang Magaling Roadmaps, while the city Local 
Councils shall base their respective City Batang Magaling Roadmaps on the 
WIPs within the locality under their jurisdiction.
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Sec. 5. Work Immersion Programs. - The WIPs that are mandated to be offered
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by education institutions offering the SHS Program shall develop in learners the
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competencies, skills, work ethic, and values relevant to pursuing further education or
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joining the world of work.
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The WIP shall be based on the Batang Magaling Roadmap and designed to match
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the needs of the learners and the capabilities of the education institutions vis-a-vis the
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demands of the work immersion industry partners.
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The Schools Division Office of the DepEd shall approve the WIP as proposed in
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these provinces, cities, or municipalities, in accordance with DepEd policies and issuances,
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and with due compliance to legal and administrative prescriptions on the number of hours
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and delivery models, among others.
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Sec. 6. Labor Market Demand Forecasting. - To align the WIP with market demand
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and ensure that the knowledge, training, and skills of SHS graduates match the in-
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demand and projected in-demand jobs of industry partners in the locality, the Councils
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are hereby mandated to conduct labor market demand studies every three (3) years,
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using quarterly local labor market data collected by the PESO.
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The data derived from such demand forecast shall serve as the basis for the work
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immersion component of the SHS Program, the Batang Magaling Roadmaps, the WIPs,
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the trainings to be conducted, the resources to be procured, and the skills to be developed


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among the learners, among others. The demand forecast will also allow education
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institutions to focus on employable skills as determined by medium- to long-term labor
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market demand.
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Sec. 7. Batang Magaling Database; Centralized Skills Database in Collaboration
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with DOLE. - The DepEd, in collaboration with the DOLE, shall develop, maintain, and
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update a centralized nationwide database of skills information to serve as a one-stop shop
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for all matters related to the employment of SHS graduates.
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The Batang Magaling Database shall help strengthen the education institutions'
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linkages and collaboration with industry partners, facilitating the meeting of skills demand
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within the province, city, municipality, and the country as a whole.
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The Batang Magaling database shall register the demographic profile of learners,
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including, but not limited to, their educational background, track and strand completed
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in SHS, training, skills, competencies, work immersion performance, course taken after
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SHS, work experience, and employment history.
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The Batang Magaling Database shall contain the profiles, employment demands,
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and vacancies, among others, of industry partners and government agencies. In
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particular, it shall include the list of first-level government positions open to qualified SHS
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graduates, as determined by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), and the list of entry-
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level positions from private corporations, as determined by the DOLE in coordination with
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industry partners.
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Sec. 8. Affirmative Hiring of SHS Graduates; Industry Partners; Civil Service
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Commission. - In order to support the employability and workforce integration of SHS
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graduates under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, the following measures shall be
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undertaken to provide employment opportunities within government agencies and
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industry partners:
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a. Private Sector Employment.
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The industry partners are enjoined to rethink and review their hiring policies
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and job requirements to provide employment opportunities, such as entry-level


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positions, to SHS graduates of the K to 12 Program. Accordingly, all private 
corporations with a workforce of at least one hundred (100) employees are 
encouraged to employ not less than one percent (1%) of entry-level positions 
for SHS graduates.
For this purpose, the DOLE, in coordination with DepEd and relevant industry 
partners, shall determine the appropriate entry-level positions that may be 
opened to qualified SHS graduates. The DOLE shall likewise issue the 
necessary rules and regulations to implement this provision, taking into 
consideration the nature of the business, applicable qualification standards, 
and the operational capacity of private corporations.
Private corporations that comply with this provision shall be entitled to the 
additional item of deduction from their gross income under Sec. 11 of this Act: 
Provided, however, that such employment of SHS graduates shall continue for 
a period of at least six (6) months.
b. Public Sector Employment.
The CSC is hereby mandated to review the qualification standards (QS) for 
government employment and revise its policies to integrate the qualifications 
of SHS graduates. The CSC shall identify and determine first-level government 
positions that may be opened to qualified SHS graduates and is further 
mandated to allocate such positions to SHS graduates: Provided, That they 
have passed the CSC's sub-professional examination and have complied with 
the applicable QS, which may include, among others, education, experience, 
training, and eligibility, in order to open appropriate employment opportunities 
in government agencies.
c. Capacity Building Programs.
The DOLE, in coordination with the CSC, DepEd, TESDA, and other relevant 
government agencies, shall conduct studies and research for the crafting of


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strategies and training programs to strengthen the workplace readiness and
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skills development, minimize the impediments to SHS employment, and
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promote the affirmative hiring of SHS graduates.
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Sec. 9. Quality Assurance by the TESDA of the SHS Program of the DepEd; National
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Competency Assessments; National Certificates. - The DepEd shall comply with the
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quality assurance framework set by the TESDA and ensure that the SHS program
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offerings meet the necessary criteria for TESDA's Training Regulations program
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registration.
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The DepEd, in coordination with the TESDA, shall provide, free of charge, the
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national competency assessments to DepEd SHS Program learners upon their graduation.
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SHS graduates who pass such assessments shall be awarded the appropriate National
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Certificates (NCs) which shall serve as formal recognition of their skills and competencies
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in accordance with the standards set by the TESDA.
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Sec. 10. Joint Delivery Voucher Program for Senior High School Technicai-
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Vocational-Livelihood Specializations (JDVP-TVL). - The JDVP-TVL, a program designed
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by the DepEd to allow SHS learners enrolled in public schools to avail of vouchers and
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take their desired TVL specializations in eligible partner institutions from private SHSs,
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non-DepEd public SHSs, or TESDA-accredited private Technical Vocational Institutes,
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shall be utilized to enable such learners to receive instruction and training and complete
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their needed TVL skills and competencies.
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The rules and regulations to be issued pursuant to Sec. 14 of this Act shall
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prescribe the guidelines for the implementation of the JDVP-TVL in cases where the
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specialization desired by the learner is not offered by the public education institution
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where he or she is enrolled.
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Sec. 11. Deductible Training Expenses from Taxable Income; Additional Item of
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Deduction. - Industry partners that incur training expenses for the skills development of
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SHS learners participating in the WIP shall be allowed the additional item of deduction


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from their taxable income under Sec. 34 (A) (1) (a) (v) of R.A, No. 8424 or the National
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Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, as amended by R.A. No. 11534 or "CREATE".
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In addition, industry partners that comply with Sec. 8 (a) of this Act shall be
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entitled to an additional deduction from their gross income for the salaries and wages
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paid to SHS graduates, subject to the provision of Sec. 34 of the NIRC, as amended:
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Provided, however, That such employment shall continue for a period of at least six (6)
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months.
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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in collaboration with the DepEd and DOLE,
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shall issue the appropriate rules for availing this incentive, including simplified processes
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and streamlined requirements for compliance and reporting.
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Sec. 12. Mandatory Review and Impact Assessment - The DepEd, in collaboration
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with the National Council, shall conduct a mandatory review of the implementation of this
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Act and submit an assessment report to Congress on its impact and effectiveness, not
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later than two (2) years from its effectivity and every two (2) years thereafter.
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Sec. 13. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation of
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this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the departments
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and other agencies concerned. Thereafter, the amount necessary for its continued
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implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
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The funding requirements needed for the implementation of this Act by local
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government units may be charged against their local funds.
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Sec. 14. Impiementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - Within ninety (90) days
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from the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd, CSC, DOLE, TESDA, and other public and
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private stakeholders, including industry partners, shall issue the rules and regulations
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implementing its provisions. The IRR issued pursuant to this section shall take effect thirty
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(30) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
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Sec. 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
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unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain in force and effect.


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Sec. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
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administrative orders, rules and regulations, issuances, or parts thereof contrary to or
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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
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Sec. 17. Effectivity. - Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this Act shall
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take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper
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of general circulation.
Approved,