Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) established the Adjustment Measures 
Program (AMP) to prevent job losses and provide assistance to displaced workers in 2007. 
AMP offers a package of assistance and other forms of intervention as a means of helping 
workers and companies cope with economic and social disruptions. Among its beneficiaries 
were the displaced personnel of higher education institutions (HEIs) during the transition 
period of the K to 12 Program where financial assistance, employment facilitation, training, 
and livelihood support were provided. Affected workers of the temporary closure of Boracay 
Island due to its rehabilitation also benefited from this program. 
Aside from this, the government is currently implementing the Emergency Employment 
Program or the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers 
(TUPAD)—a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment 
to displaced workers in the formal and informal sectors who became unemployed, 
underemployed, or have lost their livelihood as a result of the closure of establishments, 
economic crisis, retrenchment, termination, natural disasters, and calamities. TUPAD 
beneficiaries also include farmers and fishermen who have lost their livelihood due to typhoons 
or dry spells. In 2021, around 4.7 million displaced workers benefited from the aid programs 
of DOLE.  
Recognizing the importance of these programs to aid our workers, this bill aims to 
institutionalize these notable emergency employment programs into the National Employment 
Assistance Program, which shall provide temporary employment for 10 to 90 days to qualified 
individuals who are poor, disadvantaged, displaced, or seasonal workers. Beneficiaries shall 
be entitled to compensation at the prevailing minimum wage and may receive additional 
transportation and food allowances. 
With the institutionalization of these programs, the State can ensure its swift and efficient 
assistance to displaced workers and its adherence to providing sufficient opportunities to its 
citizens.  
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
September 28, 2023
1:05 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “National Employment 
Assistance Program Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is a declared policy of the State to 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. Towards this end, the State shall provide Filipinos with opportunities for 
just and sufficient means of livelihood. The State shall likewise initiate meaningful 
employment assistance programs to qualified individuals of poor, disadvantaged or 
displaced households duly identified by the appropriate national agencies. 
SECTION 3. National Employment Assistance Program. – There is hereby created 
a National Employment Assistance Program (NEAP), which shall provide temporary 
employment to qualified individuals who are poor, disadvantaged/ displaced or 
seasonal workers who volunteer to work for a minimum of ten (10) days but not more 
than (90) days in a calendar year wherein the minimum and maximum period of 
engagement can cover a single activity or multiple activities spread out over the course 
of a calendar year: Provided, that qualified individuals may include sub-professionals. 
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Qualified individuals are not subject to the terms and conditions of regular employment 
and as such, shall not be deemed to have an employer-employee relationship with the 
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), or any agency or institution who 
utilizes their services with respect to the Program. 
 
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
a) 
“Displaced worker” refers to a worker in the formal and informal sectors who 
became unemployed, underemployed, or have lost livelihood as a result of 
closure of establishment, economic crisis, retrenchment, termination, natural 
disaster/calamities; 
 
b) 
"Poor" refers to individuals and families whose income fall below the poverty 
threshold as defined by the government and/or cannot afford in a sustained 
manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, 
housing and other essential amenities of life, or those who have been 
identified as poor by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty 
Reduction (NHTS-PR); 
 
c) 
"Qualified individual” refers to willing and able Filipino citizens who are at least 
fifteen (15) years of age. Provided, that individuals between the ages of fifteen 
(15) and eighteen (18) may only qualify by first obtaining consent from their 
parent/s and/or legal guardian, and can only be employed in non-hazardous 
work environments in accordance with the Labor Code; and 
 
d) 
“Seasonal worker” refers to a worker who performs work or service that is only 
for a specific period of time or season of the year. 
 
SECTION 5. Qualifications for Availment of Employment Assistance. – The DOLE 
shall take the lead in the overall implementation of the NEAP. 
 
The DOLE and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in close 
coordination with other government agencies concerned, as well as the identified 
communities, may conduct a preliminary joint assessment of all poor, 


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disadvantaged/displaced individuals, including seasonal workers who signify interest 
in undertaking work in order to determine eligibility and inclusion to the NEAP. The 
assessment shall also take into consideration the inherent knowledge, skills, 
capacities, and capabilities of potential qualified participants so as to properly 
determine the type and nature of projects that are most suited to them and their 
respective communities. 
 
The DOLE shall facilitate basic knowledge and skills orientation and capacity-building 
trainings and seminars as deemed necessary towards project development for 
qualified participants. The local government units (LGUs) and program partners 
concerned may make available for use any tools and equipment necessary for project 
development to the qualified individuals. 
 
SECTION 6. Types of Works and Activities under the Program. – Employment 
activities for this purpose shall be designed to mobilize eligible individuals, families, 
and communities to finish a project within a given time period. These projects may 
include, but are not limited, to the following: 
a) 
Development, rebuilding/rehabilitation of agri-based livelihood assets 
damaged, destroyed or lost due to natural disasters, such as desilting of 
irrigation canals, development of paddy dikes, and rehabilitation of water 
impounding dams; 
 
b) 
Development or rehabilitation of common service facilities, which are being 
shared and used by poor families as production or consolidation centers like 
post-harvest facilities, public markets, display centers, and fish ports; 
 
c) 
Development or rehabilitation of physical assets to open up access to areas 
necessary to transport rural products, such as construction of farm-to-market 
roads and bridges; 
 
d) 
Protection of natural and productive assets through mitigation and disaster 
risk reduction measures, such as mangrove planting and rehabilitation, tree 
planting, seedling preparation, reforestation, and similar activities; and 
 


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e) 
Social community projects, such as repair, maintenance, and/or improvement 
of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health 
centers, debris clearing, declogging of canals, debris segregation and 
materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing; 
 
f) 
The DOLE shall provide an updated list of projects that may be undertaken as 
well as the projects not covered under this Act. This list shall be readily made 
available to potentially qualified individuals who have expressed their desire 
to participate in the NEAP. 
 
SECTION 7. Rate of Assistance. – Every person qualified under this Program shall 
be entitled to receive compensation for each day of work at the prevailing minimum 
wage set by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) 
concerned. LGUs may also provide additional allowances to the beneficiaries in order 
to cover other expenses such as transportation and food. 
 
SECTION 8. Appropriations. – The Secretary of Labor and Employment shall include 
in the DOLE's programs the implementation of this Act, the initial funding of which shall 
be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the DOLE. Thereafter, the 
amount necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual 
General Appropriations Act. 
 
In addition, the DOLE may accept donations, contributions or grants from foreign and 
local persons, institutions, and governments, among others, for the implementation of 
the NEAP. 
 
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days after 
the approval of this Act, the Secretary of the DOLE and DSWD shall issue the 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. – Should any provision herein be declared 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this 
Act. 
 


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SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations 
or other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect in fifteen (15) days after 
publication in the Official Gazette or in one (1) newspaper of general circulation in the 
Philippines. 
 
Approved,