All The Things You Need To Know About First-time Jobseekers Assistance Act
12 July 2022First-time job searchers and recent grads are in luck since many pre-employment documentation needs are now available for free!
Human resources development of companies are requiring a number of government-issued documents for applicants. These documents can be a burden, especially for Filipinos who will just apply for a job for the first time or for fresh grads. In fact, here are the following documents that are commonly being asked by companies and their corresponding government fees and charges:
Police Clearance Certificate: Php 100
NBI Clearance: Php 130 – Php 155
Barangay Clearance: Php 0 – Php 100
Medical Certificate: Php 30 – Php 250
Birth Certificate: Php 155 – Php 365
Transcript of Academic Records from learning institution: Php 100 – Php 450
These documents alone can cause our first time job seekers around Php 540 ~ Php 1,395.
But thankfully, with the aid of 18 other government departments, the Department of Labor and Employment created the rules of the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act in order to assist first-time job seekers. Approximately 1.3 million graduates each year who are looking for their first job benefit from this Act that waives the expenses for government-issued papers and certifications ever since it was approved by the former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
About the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act or Republic Act (RA) 11261
The First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act (RA 11261) was established in response to the high rate of unemployment in the Philippines and as a way for the government to have a greater role in ensuring that everyone may find work. It was signed into law by former President Rodrigo Duterte on 10 April 2019. It is the intention of this piece of legislation to raise also the number of Filipinos who have access to government services and provide incentives to do so, in order to foster full employment and economic equality for everyone.
For this reason, all government agencies and institutions, including government-owned and controlled corporations or GOCCs, local government units or LGUs, and government hospitals, must refrain from collecting fees or charges from first-time job applicants, unless the fees or charges are directly related to completing the application form or granting licenses, proof of identification or clearances, certificates or other documents necessary for employment.
Eligibility for First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act or RA 11261?
People who can take advantage of this legislation can only do so if they are listed as eligible in the Implementing Rules and Regulations. The candidate must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for this program:
- a Filipino citizen
- a first-time job seeker
- actively looking for work or employment
- for a minimum of six months, a resident of the barangay where the barangay certification is being issued.
A barangay certification is needed to verify one's eligibility to take advantage of and take advantage of this legislation. The Barangay Certificate is valid for one year from the date of issuance.
An associate or bachelor's degree, a technical-vocational course, or a high school diploma upon completion of the K-12 program may be qualified as a person to be considered a first-time job seeker under this law. In addition to this, the law will also regard a person as a first-time job seeker if they belong to the following groups:
- out-of-school youth
- persons who are neither employed nor in school or training
- students on leave
- all students enrolled in any kind of educational institution who aim to work while in school, college, or university.
How can I get the benefits of the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act or RA 11261?
To be eligible for the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, you must provide documentation from your barangay proving that you are looking for work for the first time. This is normally in the context of a Barangay Certification issued by the Punong Barangay or their authorized representative, which indicates that you are a first-time job seeker. At the same time, there are several exceptions to these rules, including those who are already beneficiaries of the Jobstart Program under RA No. 10869 and those who are beneficiaries of other laws that allow payment exemptions for the papers or transactions specified above.
All first-time job seekers provided free documentation under this legislation are kept and updated by the government agencies engaged in this act to guarantee a seamless execution of this program. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is also regularly updated the information on this list. As a result, the DICT is mandated to develop a database that can be accessed by all relevant agencies and authorities since RA 11261 may only be used by a single person once.
Pre employment documentary requirements that can be acquired for free by first time job seekers
Here are the free government documents that will be made available to job searchers for the first time as a result of this legislation:
- Barangay clearance
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Medical certificate from a public hospital. However, fees and expenses for laboratory tests and other medical procedures required or that are necessary for the issuance of a medical certificate will not be free of charge.
- National Bureau of Investigation clearance
- Police clearance certificate
- Tax Identification Number (TIN)
- Academic records issued or transcript from state colleges and state universities or SUCs
- Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) card
- Other government documents which may be required by employers to job seekers.
On the other hand, there will be no remission of costs if the following papers are applied to the case:
- Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) authentication of documents
- Career Service Examination
- Driver’s License
- Philippines passport
- Professional licensure examination
For first-time jobseeker, this policy is definitely a great help to reduce the financial burden of acquiring their pre-employment documentation and help them find a job in a shorter period of time.
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