Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by TUCP Partylist Representative 
HON. RAYMOND DEMOCRITO C. MENDOZA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In a lower middle-income country such as the Philippines where 18.1% of the 
population of 19.99 million Filipinos live below the poverty threshold,1 the
importance and urgency of crafting a law providing poor job applicants with the 
much-needed discount in the fees and charges for pre-employment application 
documentary requirements cannot be understated. For one, PSA’s food poverty 
threshold for a family of five in 2021 was only ₱8,379, hence merely ₱18.62 per 
meal.2 Such severely unrealistic gauge underscores the fact that the proportion of our
population who are poor could be even significantly more than what is recorded and 
reported.  
Worse, we live in greatly challenging times as we are caught in the triple 
whammy of: i) high food and electricity inflation; ii) lack of new jobs creation; and 
iii) poor job quality. Job seekers afflicted by poverty further struggle to have enough
money to pay for the processing and issuance fees of a plethora of required
government-issued certifications, clearances, and documents.
Even those who have already worked or are currently working, and are looking 
to apply for new job opportunities will share the same struggle, considering how low 
the current wages are and how high today’s prices of basic commodities are. 
The 1987 Constitution is crystal clear in Section 9, Article II 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.”  
1 According to the Preliminary Results of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) 
conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 2021. See Philippine Statistics Authority 
(PSA). (2022, August 15). Proportion of Poor Filipinos was Recorded at 18.1 Percent in 2021. 
https://psa.gov.ph/poverty-press-releases/nid/167972 
2 Dela Peña, K. (2022, August 23). PH poverty: You’re not poor if you spend more than P18.62 per 
meal. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1651097/ph-poverty-youre-not-poor-if-
you-spend-more-than-p18-62-per-meal. 
October 13, 2022
2:37 pm
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In this light, the “Poor Job Applicants Discount Act” provides poor job 
applicants with a twenty percent (20%) discount in the payment of fees and charges 
for certain government-issued clearances and certificates requisite for pre-
employment application. Poor job applicant refers to a person who is seeking gainful 
employment and has no visible means of income or whose income falls below the 
official poverty threshold. Automatically considered eligible are members of the 
household beneficiaries of the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” (4Ps).  
 
To ensure the full achievement of the intents and spirit of this bill, this proposed 
legislative measure also provides for the establishment of an Interagency 
Coordinating and Monitoring Committee to coordinate and monitor the 
implementation of this bill and a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to identify 
the gaps in the law and recommend necessary legislative and executive measures to 
fill these gaps.  
 
For the welfare of our countrymen trapped in poverty in order that they be saved 
from its vicious cycle, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HON. RAYMOND DEMOCRITO C. MENDOZA  
TUCP Partylist Representative 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by TUCP Partylist Representative 
HON. RAYMOND DEMOCRITO C. MENDOZA 
AN ACT PROVIDING POOR JOB APPLICANTS A 20% DISCOUNT IN THE 
PAYMENT OF FEES AND CHARGES FOR CERTAIN CERTIFICATES AND 
CLEARANCES ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES 
SECTION 1.  Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Poor Job Applicants 
Discount Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to promote a just 
and dynamic 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. 
Further, the State shall strive for a more equitable distribution of opportunities, 
income and wealth; a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services 
produced by the nation for the benefit of the people, and an expanding productivity as 
the key to raising the quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged.  To this 
end, the State shall provide a twenty percent (20%) discount for poor job applicants in 
the payment of fees and charges for certain certificates and clearances issued by 
government agencies. 
SECTION 3. Provision of Twenty Percent (20%) Discount. – Poor job applicants, 
whether here or abroad, shall be granted a twenty percent (20%) discount in the 
payment of fees and charges for the following clearances and certificates requisite for 
pre-employment application: 
(a) Clearance from the barangay where the applicant resides;
(b) Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI);
(c) Clearance from the Philippine National Police (PNP);
(d) Medical certificate for local employment from any government hospital
licensed by the Department of Health (DOH);
(e) Certificate of marriage from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA);
(f) Certificate of live birth from the PSA;
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(g) Transcript of Records from the state universities and colleges (SUCs) of the 
applicant; 
(h) Certificate of good moral character from the SUCs of the applicant; and 
(i) Other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be 
required by employers from poor job applicants. 
The poor job applicant may avail of the privileges under this Act only once every six 
(6) months from each government agency. 
 
SECTION 4. Identification of Beneficiaries. – As used in this Act, a poor job 
applicant refers to a person who is seeking gainful employment and has no visible 
means of income or whose income falls below the official poverty threshold, as 
identified and certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) based on the 
criteria set under the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) as established 
under Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise known as the “Community-Based 
Monitoring System Act”. 
 
Members of the households of the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” (4Ps) 
shall be automatically considered as “poor” and are eligible to avail of the privileges 
under this Act. 
 
 
SECTION 5. Penalties. –  
 
a) Any public officer or employee who refuses or fails to provide the benefit granted 
to the poor job applicant in violation of Section 3 of this Act shall, upon conviction, 
be subject to a fine of not less than Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000) but not more than 
Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000). 
 
Prosecution for an offense set forth in this Act shall be without prejudice to any 
liability for violation of any other existing laws, including civil service law, rules and 
regulations. 
 
b) A job applicant who misrepresents or falsifies any document to avail of benefits 
provided under this Act or abuses the privilege granted herein shall be prosecuted and 
punished in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 3815, as 
amended, otherwise known as the “Revised Penal Code”, and shall suffer perpetual 
disqualification in availing the privileges under this Act. 
 
SECTION 6. Interagency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee. – An 
interagency coordinating and monitoring committee, hereinafter referred to as the 
Committee, shall be established to coordinate and monitor the implementation of this 
Act. 
 
The Committee shall be composed of the following: 
(a) Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) or the 
authorized representative, as Chairperson; 
(b) National Statistician and Civil Registrar General o the PSA or his authorized 
representative, as Vice Chairperson; 


 
(c) Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) or his 
authorized representative, as Member; 
(d) Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) or his authorized representative, 
as Member; 
(e) Chief of the PNP or his authorized representative, as Member; 
(f) Director of the NBI or his authorized representative, as Member; 
(g) Secretary of DOH or his authorized representative, as Member; 
(h) Lead Convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission or his authorized 
representative, as Member; and 
(i) Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) or his 
authorized representative, as Member. 
 
The Committee shall have the following functions: 
 
(a) To coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of this Act; 
(b) To make recommendations for concerned agencies to ensure the effective and 
efficient delivery of benefit for poor job applicants under this Act; and 
(c) To submit an annual report to Congress on the implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 7. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. -  Upon the effectivity of 
this Act, a Congressional Oversight Committee is hereby constituted.  The Committee 
shall set the overall framework to review the implementation of this Act.  It shall 
likewise determine inherent weaknesses in the law and recommend necessary 
remedial legislation or executive measures. 
 
The Committee shall be composed of fourteen (14) members with the chairpersons of 
the Committee on Poverty Alleviation of the House of Representatives, and of the 
Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development of the Senate as Co-
Chairpersons, and six (6) members from each House, to be designated by the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives, and the Senate President, respectively. 
 
SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DOLE, in consultation 
with PSA, DILG, NBI, PNP, DOJ, DOH, NAPC, and the CHED shall issue the 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act within six 
(6) months after the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions hereof, not otherwise 
affected, shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary 
to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, amended or 
modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved.