NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
of t!)C
•22 JUL18 P4 SO
SENATE 
S. B. NO.
RECEIVED BY
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM AND 
PROVIDING JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO PERSONS DEPRIVED OF 
LIBERTY IN DETENTION FACILITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
According to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), there are 
approximately 94,098 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in 470 jails1 nationwide who 
are mostly 18 to 41 years old.2 Meanwhile, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) reported 
that there are 49,083 PDLs in seven prisons as of May 2022.3 To rehabilitate the 
PDLs, BJMP and BuCor provided technical-vocational classes or incorporated 
vocational programs into their job assignments in most correctional facilities.
This bill seeks to institutionalize this practice by mandating the establishment 
of a skills training program for PDLs in all correctional facilities in the Philippines. The 
implementation of the Program shall be spearheaded by the Technical Education and 
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Education (DepEd), 
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Justice (DOJ), and 
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). in addition, skills advancement 
or training inside prison will be matched with job search assistance to help ex-inmates 
find work once outside of prison.
1 BJMP Actual Jail Population Data as of May 31, 2021.
2 BJMP PDL Age Bracket as of May 31,2021.
3 BuCor Data and Statistics.


Indeed, transition services, especially technical vocational education and 
training (TVET), can improve the self-esteem of PDLs. With employable skills, they 
can find new life when they leave detention, never to get back in Jail. Tech-voc training 
will also bring new hope to the offenders because they know they have the skills that 
can be their passport to employment opportunities once they leave confinement. Aside 
from these, tech-voc training will also aid in breaking the cycle of recidivism of certain 
prisoners.
The immediate passage of this bill is
SENATOR JOEL VILLAtNUEVA


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
SENATE
S. B. NO. 731
Senate
of tije ^S>raTt«rp
*22 JUL18 P4 51
RtCEiVED BV;
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM AND 
PROVIDING JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO PERSONS DEPRIVED OF 
LIBERTY IN DETENTION FACILITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
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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 '‘Kabuhayan for 
Offenders through Skills Advancement (KOSA) Act.”
SEC. 2. Establishment of Skills Training Program for Persons Deprived of 
Liberty (PDLs). - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment 
(DOLE), Department of Justice (DOJ) and its relevant agencies, such as the Bureau 
of Corrections, and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), including 
the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), shall establish skills training 
programs for all PDLs in the Philippines.
in addition, a Job Search and Livelihood Assistance Desk shall be established 
inside prisons to help ex-offenders create sustainable employment once they are 
released from prison.
SEC. 3. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of 
this Act shall be sourced from the current budgets of TESDA, DepEd, DOLE, DOJ, 
and DILG. Thereafter, the funds necessary for the continuous implementation of this 
Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days after 
the effectivity of this Act, the TESDA, DepEd, DOLE, DOJ, BuCor, DILG, and BJMP, 
in consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall issue the necessary rules and 
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.


SEC. 5. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,