Senator Mark Villar seeks discounts, waived fees for indigents' job application documents

Senator Mark Villar has filed a measure seeking discounts and exemptions on fees for essential job application documents to reduce the expenses of indigents.

Senate Bill No. 1272, or the proposed Kabalikat sa Hanapbuhay Act, aims to make employment requirements more affordable for low-income job seekers pursuing work opportunities in the Philippines and abroad.

“Hindi dapat maging hadlang ang kakulangan sa pera para sa mga Pilipinong naghahanap ng trabaho. Sa pamamagitan ng panukalang ito, nais nating mabawasan ang kanilang gastusin sa pagkuha ng mga kinakailangang dokumento upang mas makapagpokus sila sa paghahanap ng trabaho at pagsisimula ng kanilang kabuhayan,” Villar said.

Villar said the proposal stemmed from his conversations with job applicants at his monthly MARKAbuhayan Job Caravan, where he learned about the financial strain of securing documents required for employment.

He noted that the cost of obtaining clearances, certificates and other government-issued papers can further burden families already struggling to meet their daily needs.

Under the bill, qualified indigent applicants would be entitled to a 20 percent discount on fees for various employment documents, including barangay clearances, National Bureau of Investigation clearances, National Police Clearances, medical certificates, and birth and marriage certificates issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The discount would also cover Technical Education and Skills Development Authority National Certificates and Certificates of Competency, Civil Service Commission certificates of eligibility, and other government-issued documents approved for employment purposes.

The measure also proposes waiving fees for Tax Identification Numbers issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, as well as transcripts of records, transfer credentials, authenticated diploma copies and certificates of good moral character from state universities and colleges and local universities and colleges.

Applicants would qualify if they have no visible means of income, earn below the official poverty threshold or cannot consistently meet their minimum basic needs.

Local social welfare offices would issue Certificates of Indigency free of charge, while members of households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) would automatically qualify.

The proposed benefits could be availed once every six months from each government agency. First-time job seekers already covered by Republic Act No. 11261, or the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, would be excluded from this limitation.

The bill also provides for monitoring beneficiaries through Public Employment Service Offices and the Department of Labor and Employment’s PhilJobnet platform. It prescribes penalties for the unlawful denial of benefits and the falsification of documents, while requiring coordination among government agencies and congressional oversight to support implementation.

“Ang pagkakaroon ng trabaho ay mahalagang hakbang tungo sa mas maayos na buhay. Kaya mahalagang matulungan natin ang mga kababayan nating kapos sa buhay na matugunan ang mga kinakailangan sa pag-aaplay, nang hindi nadaragdagan ang kanilang pinansiyal na pasanin,” Villar said.

He hopes the proposed Kabalikat sa Hanapbuhay Act would make the applying for a job more affordable for indigent Filipinos as they seek stable employment and better opportunities for their families.