Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8153
Introduced by Representative “KUYA” JOSE ANTONIO R. SY-ALVARADO.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippine Constitution under Article 13, Section 3 provides that the State shall
afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote
full employment opportunities for all.

The unemployment rate in the Philippines is a common problem that affects not only
the young and competent individuals but places the older workers at a more serious
predicament. When a young person is already weak by reason of his age, the employer may
terminate his services because of poor job performance; in effect such termination is
detrimental to their respective families.

The purpose of the bill is to provide programs to prepare older workers as stated and
defined under this act, for the involvement in the working force by enrolling them to
occupational and educational skills that they may use for an improved skill set and long-
term employability.

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

“KUYA” JOSE ‘ONIO R. SY-ALVARADO
Representative

First District of Bulacan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8153
Introduced by Representative “KUYA” JOSE ANTONIO R. SY-ALVARADO

AN ACT
TO ESTABLISH A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MATURE OR OLDER
WORKERS

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 "Mature and Older
Workers Act".

SEC 2. Definition of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to afford full protection to
labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote employment and
equality of employment opportunities for all.

SEC 3. Definition of Terms, - As used in this Act, the term:

(a) "Basic Skills Deficient" means, with respect to an individual, that the individual
has English reading or computing skills at or below the 8th grade level on a generally
accepted standardized test or a comparable score on a criterion-referenced test

(b) "Case Management" means the provision, in the delivery of a service, of a client-
centered approach designed to

1) Prepare and coordinate a comprehensive employment plan, such as a
service strategy, for a participant to ensure access to a necessary training and support
service; and

2) Provide job and career counseling during program participation, and after
job placement.

(c) "Educational Agency" means -

1) A public local schoo! authority having administrative control of
elementary, middle, or secondary schools or providing adult education;


2) A public or private institution that provides alternative middle or high
school education;

3) A public education institution or agency having administrative control of
secondary or post-secondary vocational education programs; or 4) post-secondary
institution;

(d) “Mature or Older Worker" means an individual who is 40 years of age or older;

(ce) “Participant” means an individual who has been determined to be eligible to
participate in the program;

(f) “School Dropout’ means an individual who is no longer attending any school and
who has not received a secondary school diploma or a certificate from a program of
equivalency for such a diploma; and

(g) "lermination" means the separation of a participant who is no longer receiving
services,

SEC 4. Eligibility for Services. - An individual shall be eligible to participate in the
program assisted under this part if such individual is forty (40) years of age or older and is
included in one or more of the following categories:

(1) Individuals whose income is not in excess of the poverty line;

(2) Individuals who are eligible for housing assistance; or

(3) Individuals who are include also who are included in two (2) or more of the
following categories

a) Individuals who are unemployed 15 of the past 26 weeks;
b) Individuals who are unemployed 30 of the past 52 weeks;
c) Individuals who are working 20 or fewer hours a weeks;
d) Individuals who are displaced homemakers;

e) Individuals who are homeless;

f) Individuals who have finished less than 10 years of school;

g) Individuals who are deficient in basic skills;


h) Individuals who have been notified that the jobs of such individuals
will be terminated within the next 60 days; or

i) Individuals who live alone.
SEC 5. Program Design. — (A) IN GENERAL -

(1) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS - Each program assisted under this part shall
include - an objective assessment, using the case management technique, of the skill levels
and service needs of each participant, including such factors as basic skills, occupational
skills, prior work experience, employability, interests, aptitudes (including interests and
aptitudes for non-traditional employment) and supportive 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; development of service strategies that shall identify the
employment goal (including in appropriate circumstances, non-traditional employment),
the appropriate achievement objectives, and the appropriate sequence of services for
participants, taking into account the assessments conducted under subparagraph (A), except
that a new service 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; a review of the progress of each participant in meeting the
objectives of the service strategy, and basic skills training and occupational skills training
if the assessment and the service strategy indicate such training is appropriate,

(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

(a) MINIMUM INCOME OF PARTICIPANTS AND APPLICANTS - Each
service delivery area participating in a program assisted under this Act shall ensure
that each participant or applicant described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of Section 4
shall be provided on the full array of applicable or appropriate services that are
available through the service delivery area or other service providers, including
providers receiving funds under this Act; and 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.

(b) APPLICANTS NOT MEETING ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS -

SERVICE PROVIDERS - 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 referral to
appropriate programs to meet the basic skills and training needs of the applicant; SERVICE
DELIVERY AREA - The service delivery area shall ensure that appropriate referrals are
made under clause (1) and shall maintain records on the referral and the reasons for which
applicants are referred.


(B) AUTHORIZED SERVICES - One or more of the following trainings or
Supportive services shall be made available to each participant under this part:

1) Outreach and recruitment;

2) Intake and assessment;

3) Job search assistance;

4) Classroom and occupational skills training;

5) On-the-job training;

6) Work experience;

7) Basic and remedial education and literacy training;

8) Supplemental services, including day care for dependent children and
adults;

9) Occupational placement assistance;

(C) SPECIAL RULES -

1) SELECTION OF SERVICE PROVIDERS - In the selection of service
providers, the Department of Labor and Employment shall give
preference to agencies and organizations with demonstrated competence
in conducting older and mature worker programs.

2) JOB TRAINING PLAN - The Department of Labor and Employment shall
develop the job training program under this Act. It may seek the assistance of other
government agencies such as the Department of Education and the help of private
educational agencies. It shall also formulate the necessary implementing rules and
regulations that will ensure the efficient and effective implementation of this Act.

SEC 6. Report. - The Secretary of labor shall submit to the President of the
Philippines and to both Houses of Congress, not later than the opening of the regular session
each year, an annual report on the status of the implementation of this Act. The annual
report shall include an analysis, for each province and on a nationwide basis, of the number
of participants served under this Act, and the type of services under this Act received by

participants.

SEC 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting.

SEC 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or
inconsistent with, the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended
accordingly


SEC 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least t ') newspapers of general circulation.