JEANETTE D.

NARDO
MAED-EM
EM 607- (Strategic Human Resource Management)
Professor: ANNIELYN A. IGNES, Ph. D., J. D.
Date: May 9, 2019

Title: No Government Fees for New Jobseekers

Date: May 8, 2019
Source: The Philippine Star
Author: Alexis Romero
Summary of Article:
Republic Act No. 11261 or the “First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act” has
signed by President Duterte last April 10, 2019. This is a measure waiving the fees
in the issuance of government documents required in the employment application of
first-time jobseekers.
Under the law, all government agencies and instrumentalities – including
state-run firms, local governments and government hospitals – should not collect
fees or charges from a first-time job seeker. The benefit can only be availed of once.
Documents covered by the law are police clearance certificate, National Bureau of
Investigation clearance, barangay clearance, medical certificate from a public
hospital, birth certificate, marriage certificate, transcript of academic records issued
by state colleges and universities, tax identification number, unified multi-purpose ID
and other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be
required by employers.

Applicants must present a barangay certification stating he or she is a first-

time job seeker or submit a duly sworn affidavit stating that he or she is either a new
graduate, an early school leaver, a student taking a leave of absence, a part-time
worker or is not engaged in education or employment.
Government agencies are required to maintain and update a roster of all individuals
who have been issued documents for free.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is

mandated to compile a database of all beneficiaries of the law and make them
accessible to all relevant agencies.

The waiver of fees and charges will not cover applications for professional
licensure examinations, passport authentication and red ribbon of documents from
the Department of Foreign Affairs, career service examination and driver’s license.
 Beneficiaries of the Jobstart Program and other laws that provide similar
exemptions for documents or transactions cannot avail themselves of the First-Time
Jobseekers Assistance Act.

An interagency committee that will monitor how government offices are

complying with the law will be created.

It may recommend to authorities the filing of an administrative complaint

against any person who refuses to comply with the law.

The labor secretary, in consultation with the DICT and other concerned
agencies, will issue the implementing rules and regulations within 60 days from the
effectivity of the law.

The law was authored by Sens. Nancy Binay, Leila de Lima, Loren Legarda,
Grace Poe, Sonny Angara, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Antonio Trillanes IV and Joel
Villanueva.

Reaction:

The law recognizes the need to promote full employment and quality of
gainful work and opportunities, to expand the accessibility to government services
and to provide incentives to promote a first-time jobseeker’s access to employment.
The applicants have a lot of opportunity to find a job that is suited for them. It is
easier for them to comply their requirements and doesn’t need more money to pay
for getting clearances and certificates. This will be an aid for the problem of our
country particularly the increasing of unemployment rate status and poverty.

One of the requirements imposed by the public and private recruitment

agencies is the physical and medical examination. The private hospitals and
laboratories are very expensive and most of the people or applicants are access with
it for the accessibility and comfortable. This law recognizes the need of the first-time
jobseekers to promote full employment but it cannot sustain the majority.

Alternative Course of Action

Actions Advantages Disadvantages
1. Private hospitals Gives a lot of opportunities Not all public documents
and laboratories are covered
 should be included
2. All government Produce more employees Documents from private
documents from both private and companies and private
other agencies government schools are not covered
should be covered
3. Not only the first- Decrease the Both public and private
time jobseekers but unemployment rate and employees that have
also to the poverty some
employees should requirements/documents
be included every end of the year
/school year are not
covered with this law.

Recommendation
1. In accordance with this, the legislative members should formulate another
law for the private hospitals and laboratories to have lower fees.
2. All government documents should be included with this law.
3. All government and private employees who need government documents
should be covered with this law.