SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
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SENATE 
253f 
S. n. No. 
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DEC n p 11 ')1', 
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Introduced hy Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM 
FOR MATURE OR OLDER WORKERS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XIII, Section 3 provides: 
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. (Emphasis supplied) 
Unemployment and underemployment are perennial problems of the Philippine 
government. News reports of banks, corporations and small and medium scale businesses 
forced to close down abound. 
Jobs are being lost because of the continued high interest rates forcing businesses 
to slow down both in investments and in actual production. 
The trend undoubtedly places the mature and older workers at a disadvantage. 
Those who are previously employed may suddenly tind themselves jobless, while those 
who have never been employed might have less chances of being hired because of 
increased competition. 
This bill seeks to establish programs to prepare mature or older workers for 
participation in the labor force by increasing occupational and educational skills resulting 
in improved long-term employability, increased cmployment and earnings. J 
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~RlAM DEFtt'S~~TI~O 
I This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF TI-IE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
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S. B. No._J?5_3~i 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Dcfensor Santiago 
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{~i~p; ,t 1qr .-"'r"'ir-1::i r V. 
DEC 2? PI] :13 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
AN ACT 
EST ART JSHING A JOB TRAINING PROORAM 
FOR MATURE OR OLDER WORKERS 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Mature and Older 
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Workers Act of2014.'" 
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SECTION 2. Declaration ()j'Tarns. 
[t is a policy of the State to afford full 
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protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote full 
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employment and equality or employment opportunities for all. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. 
~ As used in this Act, the term: 
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(A) "Basic Skills Deficient" means, with respect to an individual, that the 
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individual has English reading or computing skills at or below the 8th grade 
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level on a generally accepted standardized test or a comparable scope on a 
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criterion referenced test; 
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(B) "Care Management" means the provision in the delivery of a service of a 
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client-centered approach designed to--
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(1) Prepare and coordinate a comprehensive employment plan, such as a 
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servicc strategy, for a participant to ensure access to a necessary training 
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and support service; and 
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(2) Provide job and career counseling during program participation and 
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otTer job placement; 


(C) "Educational Agency" means-
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(l) A public local school authority having administrative control of 
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elementary, middle, or secondary school or providing adult education; 
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(2) A public or private institution that provides alternative middle or high 
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school education; 
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(3) A public education institution or agency having administrative control 
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of secondary or post-secondary vocational education programs; or 
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(4) A post-secondary institution; 
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(D) "Mature or Older Worker" means an individual who is over forty (40) years 
of age or older; 
(E) "Participant" means an individmll who has been cletermined to be eligible to 
participate in the program; 
(F) "School Dropout" means an individual who has been determined to be 
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eligible to participate in the program; and 
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(0) "Termination" means the separation of a participant who IS no longer 
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receiving services. 
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SECTION 4. Eligibility jar Services.- An individual shall be eligible to 
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participate in the program assisted under this part of such individual is forty (40) years of 
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age or older and is included in one or more ofthe following categories: 
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(A) Individuals whose income is not in excess fthe poverty line: 
(B) Individuals who are eligible for housing assistance; or 
(C) Individuals who are included in 2 or more ofthe following categories: 
(1) Individuals who are unemployed 15 of the past 26 weeks; 
(2) Individuals who are unemployed 30 of the past 52 weeks; 
(3) Individuals who are working 20 or fewer hours a week; 
(4) Individuals who arc displaced homemakers; 
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(5) Individuals who are homeless; 
(6) Individuals who have finished less than 10 years of school; 
(7) Individuals who are deficient in basic skills; 
(8) Individuals who have been notified that the jobs of such individuals will 
be terminated within the next 60 days; or 
(9) Individuals who live alone. 
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SECTION 5. Program Design. -
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(A) Program Requirements. - Each program assisted under this part shall include 
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(1) An objective assessment, using the case management technique of the 
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skill levels and service needs of each participant including such factors 
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as 
basic 
skills, 
occupational 
skills, 
pnor 
work 
expenence, 
employability, interests, aptitudes, including interests and aptitudes for 
non-traditional employment, and supportiw service needs, except that a 
new assessment of a participant is not required if the program 
determines that a recent assessment of the participant conducted under 
another education or training program, is an appropriate assessment. 
(2) Development of service strategists that shall identify the employment 
goal 
(including, 
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appropriate 
circumstances, 
non-traditional 
employment), 
the 
appropriate 
achievement objectives, 
and 
the 
appropriate sequence of services ['or participants, taking into account the 
assessments conducted under subparagraph (1), except that a new 
servke strategy is not required if the program determines a recent 
service strategy developed for the participant under another education or 
training program in an appropriate service strategy; 
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(3) A review of the progress of each participant in meeting the objectives of 
the service strategy; and 
(4) Basic skills training and occupational skills training if the assessment 
and the service strategy indicate snch training are appropriate. 
(B) Additional Rpquirements. --
(1) Minimum Income PartiCljJonls and Applicants. _. Each service delivery 
area participating in a program assistcd under this part shall ensure that 
each participant or applicant shall be provided information on the full 
array of the applicable or appropriate services thaI are available through 
the service delivery area or other service providers, including providers 
receiving funds under this Act: fll1d referral to other appropriate training 
and educational programs that have the capacity to serve the participant 
or applicant either on a sequential or concurrent basis. 
(2) Applicants Not Meeting Enrollment Requirements. 
-- Each servIce 
provider shall ensure that an eligible applicant who does not meet the 
enrollment requirements of the particular program of the provider shall 
be referred to the service delivery area for further assessment, as 
necessary, and referrals to appropriate programs to meet the basic skills 
and training needs ofthe applicant. 
The service delivery area shall ensure that appropriate referrals 
are made and shall maintain records on the referrals and the reasons for 
which applicants are referred. 
(3) Authorized Services. -
Onc or more of the following training or 
supportive services shall be made available to each participant under 
this part: 
(a) Outreach and rccruitment; 
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(b) J ntake and assessment; 
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(c) Job search assistance; 
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(d) Classroom and occupational skill training; 
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(e) On-the-job training: 
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(I) Work experience: 
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(g) Basic remedial and education and literacy training; 
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(h) Supplemental services, including day care for dependent children 
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and adults; 
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(i) Occupational placement assistance. 
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(C) Service Providers. - In the selection of service providers, the Department of 
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Labor and Elnploymenl shall give preference to agencies and organizations 
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with demonstrated experience in conducting older and mature worker 
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programs. 
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The Department of Labor and Employment shall develop the job 
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training program under this Act. 
h may seek the assistance of older 
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government agencies such as lhe Department of Education and the help or 
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private educational agencies. 
It shall also formulate the necessary 
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implementing rules and regulations that will ensure the efficient and effective 
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implementation orthis Act. 
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SECTION 6. Report. .. The Secretary shall submit to the President of the 
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Philippines and to both the Houses of Congress, nOl later than the opcning of thc regular 
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session each year, an annual report on the status of the implementation of this Act. The 
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annual report shall include an analysis, Cor each province and on a nationwide basis, of 
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the number of participants serviced under this Act, and the type of services under this Act 
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received by participants. 
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SECTION 7. Separability Clause.-' Ir any provision or part hereof, is held invalid 
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or unconstitutionaL the remainder of the law or the provision not othervvise affected shall 
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remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. 
Any 18w, presidential decree Of issuance, 
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c'(ecutive order, letter of instruction. arlministrative 0rdcr. rnle or regulation contrary to 
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Of is inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
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accordingly. 
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SECTION 9. b,r.fectivity 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, 
/dpmDec20 14 
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