House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ___________ 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative Oscar G. Malapitan 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in July 2022,   reported that 
the unemployment rate in the country  went up to 6% in May  which 
translates to  2.93 million jobless Filipinos   in need of employment. Also, the 
number of employed people but considered underemployed has risen to 
14.5% in the same month, which figure is equivalent to 269,000 employed 
Filipinos either looking for more work or are working less than 40 hours a 
week.     
Unemployment or underemployment delivers the person to low self-
esteem, depression, and anxiety.  It brings with it unhappiness, anguish and 
despair. With the lost of income and the frustration in it, the person  may 
develop negative attitudes toward common  things in life and may feel that all 
sense of purpose is lost.    
Yet, the most adverse effect of unemployment is that it breeds poverty. 
It makes both the unemployed and the nation to suffer fiscally as it does not 
only deprives the person of the means to support his and that of his family’s 
basic needs, but also obliges the State  to deal with the lost of  income, 
decreased production and additional spending for social welfare benefits. 
Thus, unemployment is considered to be  a serious problem which the 
State  must address. Productive work and/or gainful livelihood are the real 
long-term solutions to poverty.  Thus, the poor should be assisted in whatever 
ways  as they seek decent employment to liberate and lift themselves up from 
such a depressing condition.  
Moreover, having a decent work is the real sustainable way to keep 
oneself and one’s family from material destitution and deprivation, and   one 
of the ways by which  individuals and families may achieve a higher standard 
and better quality of life.    
It is the intention of this proposed measure to encourage and assist the 
poor as they  seek and secure gainful employment by providing them a Twenty 
Percent (20%) discount in the payment of fees and charges for  clearances and 
certificates issued by  government agencies, public schools, colleges and 
universities being required for pre-employment application. 
August 11, 2022
1:56 pm
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By reducing some of their financial burdens in the process of finding 
jobs, especially in this period  of great difficulty due to the pandemic, the poor 
would be more active and motivated to find work. The proposed policy will not 
only benefit the poor, but also the whole economy and the country in the long-
term once the poor become gainfully employed and more productive members 
of society. 
 
Lastly, it bears to mention that this piece of legislation was filed in the 
last Congress by former Representative Dale Gonzalo R. Malapitan and 
received the approval of the House of Representatives on third and final 
reading. This proponent  was granted the privilege by the original author  to 
refile the same  given its huge beneficial  impact to poor job applicants and  
the interest of the State as well.    
 
Thus, the immediate consideration and approval of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
 
 
 
                                                                            
 
HON. OSCAR G. MALAPITAN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ___________ 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative Oscar G. Malapitan 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING POOR JOB APPLICANTS A 20% DISCOUNT  IN THE PAYMENT 
OF 
FEES 
AND 
CHARGES 
FOR 
CERTAIN 
CERTIFICATES 
AND 
CLEARANCES ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES 
Be enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the “Poor Job 
Applicants Discount 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, 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 a twenty 
percent (20%) discount for poor job applicants in the payment of fees and 
charges for certain certificates and clearances issued by government agencies. 
Sec. 3. Provision of Twenty Percent (20%) Discount - Poor job applicants, 
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 applicant resides;
(b)
Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI);
(c)
Clearance from the Philippine National Police (PNP);
(d)
Medical certificate for local employment from any government
hospital licensed by the Department of Health (DOH);
(e)
Certificate of marriage from the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA);
(f)
Certificate of live birth from the PSA;
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(g) 
Transcript of Records from the state universities and colleges 
(SUCs) of the applicant; 
(h) 
Certificate of good moral character from the SUCs of the 
applicant; and 
(i) 
Other documentary requirements issued by the government that 
may be required by  employers from poor job applicants.   
 
The poor job applicant may avail of the privileges under this Act only 
once every six (6) months from each government agency.   
 
Sec. 4. Identification of Beneficiaries – As used in this Act, a poor job 
applicant 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 and certified by the PSA based on 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”. 
 
Members of the households of the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino 
Progam” (4Ps) shall be automatically considered as “poor” and are eligible to 
avail of the privileges under this Act.  
 
Sec. 5. Penalties – a) Any public officer or employee who refuses or fails 
to provide the benefit granted to the poor job applicant in violation of Section 
3 of  this Act shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than Five 
Thousand  Pesos (P5,000.00) but not more than Twenty Thousand Pesos 
(P20,000.00).  
 
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. 
 
  
b) A job applicant 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. 
 
Sec. 6. 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 following: 
 
(a) 
Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) or 
the  authorized representative, as Chairperson; 
(b) 
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the PSA or his 
authorized representative, as Vice Chairperson;  


(c) 
Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government 
(DILG) or his authorized representative, as Member; 
(d) 
Secretary of the Department of Justice or his authorized 
representative, as Member; 
(e) 
Chief of the Philippine National Police or his authorized 
representative, as Member; 
(f) 
Director of the NBI or his authorized representative, as Member;  
(g) 
Secretary of DOH or his authorized representative, as Member;  
(h) 
Lead Convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) 
or his authorized representative, as Member; and  
(i) 
Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education or his 
authorized representative, as Member.  
 
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 benefit for poor job applicants 
under this Act; and  
(c) 
To submit an annual report to Congress on the implementation 
of this Act. 
 
Sec. 7. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. -  Upon the effectivity 
of this Act, a Congressional Oversight Committee is hereby constituted. The 
Committee shall set the overall framework to review the implementation of 
this Act. It shall likewise determine inherent weaknesses in the law and 
recommend necessary remedial legislation or executive measures. 
 
The Committee 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.   
 
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DOLE, in 
consultation with PSA, DILG, NBI, PNP, DOJ, DOH, NAPC, and the CHED 
shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective 
implementation of this Act within six (6) months after the effectivity of this 
Act.  
 
Sec. 9. 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. 10. 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. 11. Effectivity Clause- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved.