Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” C. Villanueva 
AN ACT 
EXPANDING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS, AMENDING 
FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14-B OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11199, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT OF 2018, AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Social protection refers to “policies and programs that seek to 
reduce poverty, inequality, and vulnerability to risks and enhance the 
social status and right of the marginalized by promoting and protecting 
livelihood and employment, protecting hazards and sudden loss of 
income, and improving people’s capacity to manage risks.” 1 It is an 
important component in ensuring the well-being, as well as the 
empowerment of, the citizens as the country aims to achieve continuous 
economic growth and development.  
Recognizing the importance of social protection, the Updated 
Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 devoted Chapter 11 to propose 
1 NEDA Social Development Committee (SDC) Resolution No. 1, series of 2007 – Adopting a Philippine Definition of Social 
Protection. 
July 25, 2022
8:00 am
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initiatives that will ensure the responsiveness of the country’s social 
protection system, including the proposal to “enhance people’s access to 
unemployment insurance and related services.”2  
 
The Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic recorded dismal 
unemployment rates, with April 2020 reaching 17.7%, or equivalent to 7.3 
million unemployed individuals.3 Furthermore, all regions reported double-
digit unemployment rates, with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in 
Muslim Mindanao at 29.8%, Region III (Central Luzon) at 27.3%, and 
Cordillera Administrative Region, at 25.3% recording the highest 
unemployment rates within the same period.4 
 
Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s latest Labor Force 
Survey for the period of April 2022, the country’s unemployment rate is 
5.7%, equivalent to 2.76 million. 5  While significantly lower than the 
recorded rates at the onset of the pandemic, it is still higher than the latest 
unemployment rates in certain countries in Asia, such as Vietnam (2.8% 
as of March 2022), Malaysia (4.1% as of March 2022), but lower than 
Indonesia (5.8% as of February 2022) and India (7.8% as of April 2022).6 
 
Given the foregoing, it is necessary to strengthen our existing 
unemployment insurance benefits in order to provide sufficient social 
protection for unemployed workers, combined with active labor market 
policies, to assist workers. 
 
Under this bill, Section 14-B of Republic Act No. 11199, otherwise 
known as the “Social Security Act of 2018,” is amended to introduce the 
following key improvements to the country’s current Unemployment 
Insurance system: 
 
 
2 Updated Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, p. 215. 
3 Philippine Statistics Authority, Employment Situation in April 2020, accessible at https://psa.gov.ph/content/employment-
situation-april-2020 (last accessed June 29, 2022). 
4 Id. 
5 Philippine Statistics Authority, April 2022 Labor Force Survey, accessible at https://psa.gov.ph/content/employment-rate-april-
2022-estimated-943-percent (last accessed June 29, 2022). 
6 National Economic and Development Authority, Report on Labor Force Survey (April 2022), accessible at 
https://neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Report-on-NIA-Q1-2022.pdf (last accessed June 29, 2022). 


1.
Increases 
covered 
monthly 
cash 
payments 
of 
the
Unemployment Insurance or Involuntary Separation Benefits
from two (2) months to three (3) months;
2.
Allows persons to claim unemployment benefits more than once
every three (3) years if the cause of unemployment is due to
business 
contractions 
brought 
about 
by 
public 
health
emergencies and policy-related disruptions, such as the COVID-
19 pandemic; and
3.
Incorporates active labor market policies for the benefit of the
beneficiaries-members, such as training or re-tooling under
programs offered by various government agencies, and
provision of job search assistance, including the provision of
local information on market opportunities, job matching, and
identification of education and training opportunities.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is 
earnestly sought. 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” C. Villanueva 
AN ACT 
EXPANDING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS, AMENDING 
FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14-B OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11199, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT OF 2018, AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
2 
3 
SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Expanded 
4 
Unemployment Insurance Act of 2022”. 
5 
6 
SECTION 2. Expanded Unemployment Insurance. – Section 14-B 
7 
of Republic Act No. 11199, otherwise known as the “Social Security Act 
8 
of 2018” is hereby amended to read as follows: 
9 
10 
Section14-B. Unemployment Insurance or Involuntary 
11 
Separation Benefits. –  
12 
13 
A member who is not over sixty (60) years of age who has paid 
14 
at least thirty-six (36) months contributions twelve (12) months 
15 
of which should be in the eighteen-month period immediately 
16 
preceding the involuntary unemployment or separation shall be 
17 
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paid benefits in the form of monthly cash payments equivalent 
1 
to fifty percent (50%)  of the average monthly salary credit for a 
2 
maximum of THREE (3) months: Provided, That an employee 
3 
who is involuntarily unemployed can only claim unemployment 
4 
benefits once every three (3) years, EXCEPT IF THE CAUSE 
5 
OF 
UNEMPLOYMENT 
IS 
DUE 
TO 
BUSINESS 
6 
CONTRACTIONS BROUGHT ABOUT BY PUBLIC HEALTH 
7 
EMERGENCIES AND POLICY-RELATED DISRUPTIONS: 
8 
PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT DURING THE PERIOD OF 
9 
UNEMPLOYMENT WHEREBY A MEMBER RECEIVES 
10 
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS 
11 
ACT, THE BENEFICIARY-MEMBER SHALL UNDERGO 
12 
TRAINING OR RE-TOOLING UNDER PROGRAMS OFFERED 
13 
BY 
VARIOUS 
GOVERNMENT 
AGENCIES 
AND/OR 
14 
ACTIVELY SEEK EMPLOYMENT: PROVIDED, FURTHER, 
15 
THAT FOR THIS PURPOSE, JOB SEARCH  ASSISTANCE, 
16 
INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF LOCAL INFORMATION ON 
17 
MARKET 
OPPORTUNITIES, 
JOB 
MATCHING, 
AND 
18 
IDENTIFICATION 
OF 
EDUCATION 
AND 
TRAINING 
19 
OPPORTUNITIES SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE PUBLIC 
20 
EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OFFICES (PESO): PROVIDED, 
21 
FURTHER, THAT THE COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH A 
22 
PROPER REFERRAL AND COORDINATION SYSTEM AND 
23 
COORDINATE WITH OTHER RELEVANT GOVERNMENT 
24 
AGENCIES TO PROPERLY IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION;  
25 
Provided, FINALLY further, That in case of concurrence of two 
26 
or more compensable contingencies, only the highest benefit 
27 
shall be paid, subject to the rules and regulations that the 
28 
Commission may prescribe. 
29 
 
 
30 
SECTION 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Social 
31 
Security Commission, in coordination with relevant government agencies 
32 
and upon proper consultation with other stakeholders, shall promulgate 
33 
the necessary implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60)   days 
34 
from the effectivity of this Act. 
35 
 
36 


 
SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, rules, and 
1 
regulations or parts thereof, which are contrary to or inconsistent with this 
2 
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
3 
 
4 
SECTION 5. Separability. – If any provision of this law or the 
5 
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the 
6 
remainder of this law, or the application of such provision or part to other 
7 
persons of circumstances, shall not be affected thereby. 
8 
 
9 
SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen 
10 
(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) 
11 
newspapers of general circulation. 
12 
 
13 
Approved, 
14