Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4g
HOUSE BILL NO. _$01

Introduced by Representative EDUARDO R. RAMA JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article IT, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution recognizes the vital role of the youth in
nation-building, Further, st provides that the State shall inculcate in the youth patnotism and
nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs. The institutionalization

of a Government Intemship Program (GIP) is in line with the said policy of the state.

‘The Government Internship Program aims to provide opportunities and engage the youth
to serve the general public in government agencies and offices, both in national and local levels. It
provides an opportunity to demonstrate their talents and skills in public service and encourages
them to pursue a carcer in government service which in tum will result in possibly attracting some

of the best talents to the civil service.

‘This legislative measure secks to institutionalize the aforementioned program, which began
as an initiative of the Department of Labor and Employment, as it will contribute to the
employability of qualified participants likewise preparing them to enter the workforce. Further, the
program will introduce the Filipino youth to gainful experience that will instill in them great

appreciation for public service and volunteerism.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

a

REP. EDUARDO R. RAMA JR.
2” District, City of Cebu


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 801

Introduced by Representative EDUARDO R. RAMA JR.

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
GOVERNMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

CHAPTER 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS
1 SECTION 1. Title. - ‘This Act shall be known as the "Government Inteenship Program
2 of 2025.”
3 SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to enable the youth to
4° fulfill its vital role in nation-building, It is the governing principle of this Act that the youth be
5 accorded opportunities through a Government Intemship Program (GIP), by establishing the
6 necessary structures for its proper implementation and providing for the necessary funds for its
7 successful execution.
8 SECTION 3. Scope and coverage. - This act shall apply to qualified beneficiaries in
Local Government Units with any of the following conditions:
10 a. Priority areas for intervention as identified by the Joint Human Development and
11 Poverty Reduction Cluster and NEDA-Social Development Committee;


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b. Implementing National Skills Registry Program (NSRP);

¢. Implementing Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP) and other
related initiatives;

d. LGUs hit by natural disasters, man-made calamities, or affected by armed conflict;

€. Localities where goverment initiatives have caused displacements, as determined by
the local government unit; or

£ Other areas as identified by the Regional Offices of the Department of Labor, where
beneficiaries are entitled to avail of the GIP provided that they meet the qualifications.

SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act, the foliowing terms are

defined as:

a) CSC-- shall refer to the Civil Service Commission.

b) DOLE — Department of Labor and Employment who shall manage and supervise the
implementation of the program.

©) GIP — Government Internship Program, a component of the KABATAAN: 2000
under Executive Order 139, series of 1993.

d) GIP Certificate - refers to a cestification that shall be jointly issued by the CSC, NYC
and the involved institution after program completion and assessment of the GIP
trainees’ competencies to attest their acquired skills.

©) GIP Graduate - refers to an intern who has completed the program secvices and has

undergone the full duration of the program.

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Inter - refers to an cligible beneficiary selected to participate in the GIP.

8) Internship - refers to the practical learning or a job training of a GIP traince in a regular
work environment in an institution for a period of three (3) to six (6) months, as
determined by the institution.

h) Institution - refers to Philippine government institutions, state universities and

colleges, local government units, or any other legal entity registered under relevant laws

that may provide a venue for internship of GIP trainees

i) Mentor- refers to the intem's direct supervisor.

refers to the National Youth Commission.

k) Stipend ~ refers to the monetary remuneration, in the form of an allowance, received
by the GIP beneficiaries.

1) Youth - shall refer to persons whose age rangers from fifteen (15) to thirty (30) years
old.


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SECTION 5. Establishment of the Government Internship Program. —n order to attain

the declared policy, a “Government Internship Program” is hercby established and hercinafter

referred to as the “GIP.”

SECTION 6. Objectives of the Government Internship Program. ~The objectives of the

GIP are the following:

b)

co)

To provide wider training and development opportunities among the youth geared
toward acquisition and/or application of knowledge and skills;

To provide program beneficiaries, particularly the poor/indigent, opportunity to
demonstrate their talents and skills in the field of public service with the ultimate
objective of attracting the best and the brightest who want to pursue a career in
government service;

‘To contribute in addressing the financial needs of the youth for their possible
education needs; and

‘To involve and acquaint the youth on goverment programs, projects and activities

and instill in them appreciation of public service and spirit of volunteerism.

SECTION 7. Qualifications. — Beneficiaries must be:

a)

b)

C)

Individuals aged 18-30 years old, except as those as may be determined by DOLE

Regional Offices. Individuals aged 31 years and above may qualify as beneficiaries on

the following conditions:

1. ‘Those with no work experience or intermittent work experience;

2. ‘Those who are unemployed due to laid off or terminated due to closure of
establishments; and

3. Those who were displaced or to be displaced due to natural or manmade disasters.

At least a graduate of High School/Senior High School, o¢ its equivalent level under

the Alternative Learning System, or technical-vocational graduate; and

Without work experience except those identified under Section 2(d) and (¢).

‘The program may also be extended to the following groups of disadvantaged persons

provided that they mect the qualifications:


1 i. Victims of armed conilict;

2 2. Rebel returnees;

3 3. Persons with Disabilities (PDWs); and

4 4. Indigenous peoples.

5 SECTION 7. Guidelines for the Implementation of the GIP. ~ The following shali be

6 the guidelines for the implementation of the GIP:

7 a) Applicants must submit any of the following whichever is applicable:

1. ‘Transcript of records (TOR); or

2. Form 137/Form 138; or
10 3. Diploma or Certificate of Graduation; or
i 4. Cestification fiom the school/institution or any document/prvof equivalent to this
12 effect.
23 For beneficiaries under Section 2(d) and (@), a Certificate of Indigency shall be
14 prioritized to avail the program.
15 b) Institutions shall designate an empioyee who will serve as GIP Desk Officer who will
16 oversee the implementation of GIP within the institution;
7 ©) Internship period shall be for a period of at least three (3) months to six (6) months
18 computed from the date that the Intern reported for work in his/her office provided
19 that
20 a. Former GIP beneficiaries may be re-admitted for a minimum of three (3)
21 months to a maximum of 6 months upon recommendation of the partner
22 agencies, whether local or national; Provided further, that they will be
23 designated to perform tasks that would enabie them to acquire additional
24 competencies that would merit a potential position, whether contractual,
25 casual, or permanent in the government service;
26 b. That such recommendation contains: (a) Performance rating or evaluation of
27 the intern; (b) needed skills of the inteen for enhancement; and (c) the intent
28 to hire or absorb the GIP as a contractual, temporary or regular employee,
29 subject to the willingness of the intern and applicable Civil Service Rules and
30 Regulations
31 4} Bor purposes of computation, cach month shail be equivalent to twenty two (22) work
32 days exclusive of special non-working holidays. In case there are non-working holidays


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i)

within the duration of the GiP agreement, the period may extend beyond the end date
to utilize the allocated budget for twenty two (22) work days a month.
Policies on compensatory time off (CTO) shall not be applied to GIP. However,
overtime services rendered and accumulated for eight (8) hours shall be computed as
one (1) working day. The same shall be applied to the services rendered during holidays
which shall form part of the three (3) of six (6) months period of engagement;
Existing minimum wage shall be construed and understood as the highest or maximum.
of the regional minimum wage rates;

‘The Intern shall also be entitled to an insurance coverage of not less than P50,000 but
not more than P100,000.00 based on the premium agrced up by the DOLE and the
Gs

S. The insurance premium shall not be deducted from the beneficiary’s allowance
P;

In case where the intern voluntarily terminated the Internship Agreement prior to the

but from the general supplemental budget for DOL

expiration of the Agreement, a substitute may be provided who shall cover only the
unexpired term of the Agreement.

Upon entry into the internship, interns shail be provided with a stipend amounting to
75% of the e
standardization law and shall be non-taxable. The amount of the stipend shall be based

ing cate of Step 1, Salary Grade 1 of the government salary

on the trainee's actual attendance, and shall take into consideration the absences and
tardiness incurred. It shall be paid in accordance with existing labor iaws and civil
service laws, rules and regulations;
‘The institutions, as provided by law, and subject to budgeting, accounting and auditing
rules and regulations, shall provide additional entitlements such as:

a. ‘Transportation and meal provisions dusing activities that are held outside of

the day to day office trainings;
b. Compensatory time off in case of activities held during weekends/holidays

and/or beyond office hours; and

c. Incentives and rewards in acknowledgment of remarkable achievements (Le.,
punctuality, perfect attendance);

GIP shall not be considered as employment. Thus, there is a0 employer-employee

relationship between the beneficiary and the institution. However, GIP graduates shall

be given preference in the hiring of workers in the respective institutions. After career

coaching, the institution shall assess and determine whether the GIP graduate is ready

to be placed for contractual or regular work;


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k)_ Interns are hired for official purposes only. Institutions are prohibited from assigning
tasks which are beyond official duties;

1) Institutions shall conduct trainings, seminars, and other developmental interventions
for the interns including, but not limited to mentoring, coaching and performance
evaluation; and

m) Social protection incentives shall be provided to the intems and are encouraged for
consideration by the institutions such as accident insurance, as may be applicable. The

process can be facilitated with cither public or private insurance entities, and public

insurance entities such as GSIS, subject to budgetary requirements of the institution,
SECTION 9. Mechanics of the GIP. — This process must be followed on the hiring of
interns:
a, Recruitment and Acceptance of GIF Interns
i. Program Advertisement and Recruitment of Interns. The institutions, through
its designated GIP Desk Officers, shall ensure effective information dissemination
of the institution implementation of the GIP including the period of applications.

‘This may include, bur not to the following:

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a. Promotion/recruitment of intems for GIP through the institution
website and other social networking sites;

b. Text blasts for applicable institutions;

c. Print advertisements;

d. Broadcast media; and

¢. Promotion thru education institutions in coordination with the
Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education

(CHED) and Local Government Units (Li

ii, Applications for Internship

a. Walk-in applicants may submit their accomplished applications forms
directly to the GIP Desk Officer.

b. Online applications may also be accepted through necessary official
channels of the institution

c. Applicants must not be related within 3rd degree of affinity and

consanguinity to officials and employees of the institution.


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iii. Screening of GIP Trainees
a. The screening and acceptance of interns may be initiated and facilitated
by the institution at least three (3) weeks before the first day of service of
the new batch of interns.
b. The screening, however, may not be limiced to interviews.
c. The institution shall provide the applicants with uniform application
form which shall serve as basis of the screening,
d. No applicant must be discriminated based on his/her gender, race,

religion and economic status

iv. Acceptance of GIP Interns.

& Once the selection process is done, an Order of Acceptance shall serve as their

Appointment Paper. It shall be executed and signed by and between the GIP
Desk Officer and the intern. It shall stipulate the Terms and Reference for the
compliance of the one who shall be governed by such document. It shall also
contain that there is "No Employer-Employee Relationship” between the
beneficiary and the hiring institution given that the program is not an

employment opportunity

b. Orientation of interns. The new batch of interns shall arcend a general orientation on

or before their first day of training which shall be scheduled by the GIP Desk Officer.

‘The orientation covers, but is not limited to the following
a. Government Internship Program (GIP) Rationale;

b. Institutional mandate and organizational structure;

c. Relevant office policies and procedures;

d. Specific institutional programs and projects;

¢. Telephone Etiquette/Office Decorum

£. Interpersonal Relations;

g- Code of Conduct of Public Employees (RA 6713): and

h. Role of Interns in the Government Volunteers Program.

Alll units under the institution shali send their representatives during the GIP Orientation

to discuss programs, projects, undertaking and activities of their respective offices.


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c. Work Assignments/Tasks of Interns. Institution officials and staff are considered
mentors of all interns. They shall provide work assignments and responsibilities that will
enhance and enrich the experiences of the program beneficiaries and develop their
knowledge and skills. The following duties and functions may be required to be performed
by GIP beneficiaries:

a. Assist the DOLE and its partner agencies partner agencies personnel/staff;

b. Assist in the encoding of registrants in the PESO Employment Information System

EIS);

¢. Assist in profiling child laborer/s, persons with disability (PWD) and senior citizens

in concerned barangays;

4. Assist public school/hospital personnel/staff;

€. Assist LGU personnel/staff; and

£. Perform duties that are not highly-technical in naturc assigned by the government

agencies or GIP partners.

4. Activity/Program Participation of Interns. interns shall be required to attend or
participate in relevant in-house trainings and seminars conducted by the institution.
‘These trainings/seminars include but are not limited to the following:

i. Good citizenship

ii Orientation on Basic Labor Rights
ii, Work Ethics and Professionalism

iv. Pre-employment Seminar

v. Gender and Sensitivity Workshop

vi. Personality Development
vii Youth Leadership and Empowerment
vii, Business Writing and Grammar 101; and

ix. Culeural Awareness Training.

‘These training modules may be obtained from the National Youth Commission (NYC).
Each institution may choose a minimum of six (6) from the suggested topics for its
implementation. Other relevant topics may also include in the internal trainings and
seminar for the interns. In response to the Public and Private Partnerships Framework,
interns can also be tapped as delegates during activities outside of the institutional

parameters where they ate hired. These may be participation in outreach programs, film


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showing, volunteer works and youth engagements that are often initiated private groups,
socio-civic associations and organizations that help the government in reaching out to the

people.

¢. Mentoring, Coaching and Performance Evaluation. In order to ensure that interns are
given enough mentoring, the direct supervisor and the intern shall meet twice for the entire
duration of internship. The interns shall accomplish two (2) performance evaluation sheets

and the supervisor shall accomplish two (2) supervisor's evaluation sheets for the graduation

f. Graduation of Intems. The graduation day for the interns shail be conducted preferably

on the last day of internship.

‘The mentoring forms used shall gauge the learnings of the intcrns during their internship in
the institution. It is important that the interns themselves exhibit satisfactory, very good to
excellent ratings from their supervisors during thei last mentoring session which shall also
reflect in the Performance Evaluation Form. This process shall be undertaken on the 3rd or

last nnonih of their service in the institution.

‘The GIP Desk Officer shall likewise follow up on mentors of interns with performance

evaluation rating of below three (3) by the 20 second 2nd) month of internship.

in order to empower them, intems shall be given the chance to plan and organize their

graduation ceremonies.

SECTION 10. Priority for Indigents. — Applicants who submitted a Certificate of
Indigency shail be prioritized to avail the program.

SECTION IL. Termination of GIP Contract. — Any of the following shall be a valid cause
to terminate the training contract.

By the institution:

a. Habitual absentecism of the intern;

b. Willful disobedience by the intern of the institution's rules, of iasubordination of a lawful

order of a supervisor;

¢. Theft or malicious destruction of the institution's property by the intern;

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4d. Engaging in violence or other forms of misconduct in the internship or institution's
premises by the intern; and

€. Poor performance for a prolonged period despite warning duly given to the intern.

By the intern:
a. Substandard or harmful working conditions within the institution's premises;
b. Cruel and inhumane treatment; and

c. Prolonged or continuing illness.

Either party may furnish the other party a notice of intent (o terminate the GIP contract

for cause of defined in this section.

In case the GIP contract has been terminated, replacement of an intern in an institution

shall be allowed subject to the cause of termination.

SECTION 12. Creation of a Grievance Committee. — \ Grievance Committee shall be
created and shall have the initial cesponsibility of setting differences in case of any violation of the

GIP Contract, or upon the filing of a complaint by an aggrieved party.

‘The Grievance Committee shall be composed of officials and representatives of the

institution that have jurisdiction over the internship.

‘The Committee shall render a decision pursuant to pertinent cules and reyulations. In case
of failure by the Grievance Committee to settle the issue or render a decision, or in case the
compiaint is against members of the Grievance Committee, the case shall be referred to the Civil

Service Commission (CSC) for appropriate action.

SECTION 13. Program Management. —

a) The CSC shail be executing institution of the GIP. It shall serve as program manager that
shall provide necessary technical and administrative assistance to concerned institutions.
‘The regional and field offices shall supervise and monitor the implementation of the GIP
in theie respective jurisdiction. CSC shall conduct training for GIP Desk Officers prior to

the implementation of the GIP.

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b) The CSC shail establish a GIP Unit in its Central, Regional and Field Offices. The unit
shall provide training costs, administrative costs, or other fees, if any, as specified under a
memorandum of agreement between CSC and the institution,

©) The Oversight Committee shall oversee the implementation of the GIP. The Committee
shall be chaired by the National Youth Commission (NYC). The Committee shall be
composed of representatives from the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and representatives
from the youth, employer and labor sectors. A report shall be transmitted to both Houses
of Congress through the CSC.

4d) All institutions shall be designate a GIP Desk Officer, who shall be lodged under the
HR/Personnel Unit or any Special Unit of the Institution. The GIP Desk Officer will:

i Ensure that all processes required of the Program are met; and

Provide reports to CSC as the lead institution on GIP.

SECTION 14. Program Assessment — To determine the necessary innovations,
improvements and rationalization needed for integration in the program, a periodic review and

assessment on the delivery of the GIP services must be undertaken by each institution.
‘This will also be a processing venue for all units under the institution to suggest mechanisms co
further enhance the internal processes of the program as they may apply within their institutional
parameters.

This endeavor shall be undertaken at least twice a year.

All institutions should submit a report and database of their implementation of the Government

Internship Program fifteen (15) days after the end of every term.
SECTION 15. Appropriations. — Ic is hereby authorized to be appropriated the amount

of One Hundred Million Pesos (Phpl00,000,000.00) as funding for the program and shall be

provided to the Civil Service Commission's budget for the current fiscal year.

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Further, at least one percent (1%) shail be appropriated under the Maintenance, and Other
Operating Expenses (MOOE) of institutions for the implementation of GIP in their respective

jurisdictions, and shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 16. Separabiility Clause. — if for any reason, any pact or provision of this Act
shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions thereof not affected thereby
shall continue to be in full force and effect.
SECTION 17. Repealing Clause. - Executive Order 139, series of 1993, and aii other
laws, decrees, rules and regulations, other issuances or parts thereof which are consistent with

this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 18. Effectivity. — This Act shall cake effect immediately upon its publication

in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

Approved,

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