Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH  CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 968 
Introduced by Representative Oscar G. Malapitan 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In April 2025, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that 2.06 
million Filipinos were unemployed, placing the national unemployment 
rate at 4.1%—a slight increase from the previous month’s rate of 3.9%. 
Additionally, underemployment rose to 14.6% during the same period, 
indicating that 7.09 million employed Filipinos were either seeking 
additional work or working less than 40 hours a week. 
Unemployment and underemployment have profound and far-reaching 
effects on individuals and society. Beyond the immediate loss of income, 
they often lead to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and a diminished 
sense of purpose. These conditions can give rise to feelings of frustration, 
hopelessness, and despair. 
Most critically, unemployment breeds poverty. It imposes not only 
economic hardship on the individual and their family but also a fiscal 
burden on the State through decreased productivity, loss of income tax 
revenue, and increased spending on social welfare programs. It 
undermines both personal dignity and national development. 
Addressing unemployment is therefore a pressing responsibility of the 
State. Gainful employment and sustainable livelihood opportunities are 
among the most effective long-term solutions to poverty. It is essential 
that the government supports poor and marginalized individuals in their 
pursuit of decent work that can lift them and their families out of 
economic hardship. 
This proposed measure aims to support poor job seekers by granting them 
exemptions or discounts on the payment of fees and charges for 
clearances and certificates issued by government agencies, public 
schools, colleges, and universities—requirements often needed during 
pre-employment application processes. 
By easing these financial burdens, the measure seeks to encourage and 
empower the poor to actively seek employment. In doing so, it promotes 
not only individual welfare but also national progress. Gainfully employed 
citizens become productive contributors to the economy, which, in turn, 
benefits the country as a whole. 
July 1, 2025
5:02 pm


It is worth noting that a similar bill was filed during the 19th Congress 
and was approved by the House of Representatives on third and final 
reading. This current proposal reflects the continued collaboration of its 
many authors, driven by a shared commitment to support poor job 
seekers in their pursuit of dignified and meaningful work. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate consideration and passage of this 
bill is earnestly sought. 
HON. OSCAR G. MALAPITAN 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH  CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 968 
Introduced by Representative Oscar G. Malapitan 
 AN ACT 
PROVIDING INDIGENT JOB SEEKERS DISCOUNTED OR WAIVED FEES 
AND CHARGES IN THE ISSUANCE OF CERTAIN PRE-EMPLOYMENT 
DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES    
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 “Kabalikat sa 
Hanapbuhay Act”. 
SEC. 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, decent jobs, 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 
indigent job seekers a twenty percent (20%) discount in the payment of fees 
and charges or waived fees for certain certificates and clearances issued by 
government agencies. 
SEC. 3. Identification of Beneficiaries. – As used in this Act, an indigent 
job seeker 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 by the National Economic and Development Authority 
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. 
    The PSA, following 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”, shall 
validate the list of indigent households found in the Listahanan of the 
Department of Social Welfare and Development  identify indigent individuals. 
The 
Local 
Social 
Welfare 
Development 
Officer 
(LSWDO) 
of 
the 
city/municipality or any equivalent unit of the municipality where the 
indigent job seeker resides is authorized to issue a Certificate of Indigency 
based on the latest CBMS data, abovementioned criteria and established 


guidelines, as proof of eligibility of job seekers in availing the privileges 
provided for under this Act. Such certification shall be free of charge. 
 
          For purposes of identifying indigent job seekers, any other unified 
targeting system duly agreed upon by the Inter-Agency Coordinating and 
Monitoring Committee may be used in the future. 
 
          An indigent job seeker whose household is enrolled under the seven-
year period “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” (4Ps), shall be 
automatically considered as “indigent” and eligible to avail of the privileges 
under this Act.  
 
          First time job seekers who avail of waived government fees and charges 
in the issuance of pre-employment documents under Republic Act No. 1126, 
otherwise known as the “First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act” are not 
covered by this Act. 
 
SEC. 4. Twenty Percent (20%) Discount on Fees and Charges for 
Clearances and Certificates. – Unless given free of charge by the issuing 
agency or unit, indigent job seekers, 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 job seeker resides; 
(b) Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); 
(c) National Police Clearance from the Philippine National Police (PNP); 
(d) Medical certificate for local employment from any government hospital 
licensed by the Department of Health (DOH), and medical certificate for 
foreign employment from any DOH-accredited medical facility for 
overseas workers and seafarers; 
(e) Certificate of marriage from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); 
(f) Certificate of live birth from the PSA; 
(g) National Certificate and Certificate of Competency (COC) from the 
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); 
(h) Certificate of Civil Service Eligibility from the Civil Service Commission 
(CSC); and 
(i) Other documentary requirements issued by the government that may 
be required by employers from indigent job seekers, as determined and 
approved by the Inter-Agency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee 
established in Section 6 of this Act. 
 
SEC. 5. Waiver of Fees and Charges for Pre-Employment Documents. – The 
fees and charges required to acquire the following pre-employment 
documents and cards shall be waived:   
 
(a) Tax Identification Number from the Bureau of Internal Revenue; and 
(b) Transcript of Records, Transfer Credentials, Authenticated Copy of 
Diploma, and Certificate of Good Moral Character from the State 
Universities and Colleges, and Local Universities and Colleges of the job 
seeker. 
 
The indigent job seeker may avail of the privileges of waived or discounted 
fees under this Act only once every six (6) months from each government 


agency.  
 
SEC. 6. Prohibited Acts and Penalties. – a) Any public officer or employee 
who refuses or fails to issue a Certificate of Indigency, or to provide the benefit 
granted to the indigent job seeker in violation of Sections 4 and 5 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). The 
penalty of temporary disqualification to hold public office for a period of five 
(5) years shall also be imposed. 
 
 
b) A job seeker 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. 
 
 
Administrative sanctions shall be imposed without prejudice to 
prosecution as provided for in this Act. 
 
 
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. 
 
 
SEC. 7.  Indigent Job Seekers Database. – The Public Employment 
Service Office in coordination with the LSWDO shall establish and maintain a 
database system containing an updated roster of all indigent job seekers who 
availed of the benefits under this Act.  
 
The PhilJobnet platform of the Department of Labor and Employment 
(DOLE) shall serve as the monitoring mechanism to record, monitor, and 
report the availment of the benefits granted to indigent job seekers.  
 
          SEC. 8. Non-Authority to Charge Fees. – Nothing in these sections shall 
be interpreted as authorizing other government agencies to impose fees or 
charges which are otherwise not allowed under their respective charter or 
other relevant laws.  
 
          SEC. 9. 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 Secretary of the Labor and 
Employment or his authorized representative, as Chairperson; Secretary of 
Interior and Local Government or his authorized representative, as Vice 
Chairperson; and the following as members: Secretary of Migrant Workers or 
his authorized representative; National Statistician and Civil Registrar General 
of the PSA or his authorized representative; Chief of the PNP or his authorized 
representative; Director of the NBI or his authorized representative; Secretary 
of DOH or his authorized representative; Chairperson of the Commission on 
Civil Service (CSC) or his authorized representative; Chairperson of the 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) or his authorized representative; 
Director-General of TESDA or his authorized representative; Presidents of the 


Liga ng mga Barangay, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and League 
of Cities of the Philippines or their authorized representatives; Lead Convenor 
of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) or his authorized 
representative; and Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous 
Peoples (NCIP) or his authorized representative. 
 
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 services in providing the benefits for 
indigent job seekers under this Act;  
(c) To identify and approve other pre-employment certificates and 
clearances; 
(d) To invite other agencies to be members of the Committee; 
(e) To review, evaluate, and amend accordingly the clearances and 
certificates covered under this Act; and 
(f) To submit an annual report to Congress on the implementation of this 
Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. -  Upon the 
effectivity of this Act, a  Joint Congressional Oversight Committee is hereby 
constituted.  The JCOC shall set the overall framework to review the 
implementation of this Act.  It shall likewise recommend necessary remedial 
legislation, for a period not exceeding three (3) years. 
 
The JCOC 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.  
 
The Secretariat of the JCOC shall be drawn from the existing personnel 
of the Committee on Poverty Alleviation of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development of the 
Senate. 
 
SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within six (6) months 
after the effectivity of this Act, the DOLE shall, in consultation with the 
Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Migrant 
Workers, PSA, PNP, NBI, DOH, CSC, CHED, TESDA, Leagues of Barangay, 
Municipalities, and Cities, NAPC and NCIP, promulgate the necessary rules 
and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 12. 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. 
 
SEC. 13. 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. 
 


SEC. 14. Effectivity.– This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved.