Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) — Filipinos applying for jobs for the first time will no longer have to pay for the government documents required for employment.
Under Republic Act 11261 or the “First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act,” government transactions for the following documents will now be free for first-time job applicants: police clearance, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, barangay clearance, medical certificate from a public hospital, birth certificate, marriage certificate, transcript of records from state colleges and universities, tax identification number (TIN), unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) card, and other government documents required by employers. President Rodrigo Duterte signed the legislation last April 10, acording to a copy released by Malacañang on Tuesday.
The law, however, does not waive fees for the following: application to take a professional licensure examination and Careeer Service Examination, and application for a driver’s license and Philippine passport and red ribbon of documents from the Foreign Affairs Department.
A barangay certification should be presented to prove that a person is a first-time jobseeker.
“Any person found guilty of fabrication or falsification shall be liable under the Revised Penal Code,” the law states.
Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communications Technology is tasked to manage a database of beneficiaries, so relevant agencies can track those who already availed of the free government documents.
Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, stressed that job applicants can save up to ₱2,000 because of the new law. He said around 1.3 million first-time jobseekers, composed of both fresh graduates and out-of-school youth are expected to benefit from the law yearly.
