Leila urges swift Senate action on proposed discounts for indigent job seekers

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Monday urged her colleagues to help push for the swift passage of her bill which seeks to reduce the expenses of poor Filipinos seeking for a job, especially now that many are experiencing the financial challenges brought about by the pandemic.

In a dispatch from Camp Crame, the detained senator said she hopes the legislative chamber will give priority to her Senate Bill 1435 seeking to provide discount for indigent job applicants in the payment of fees and charges for certain certificates and clearances issued by government agencies for employment application.

“Dagdag pabigat sa marami nating maralitang kababayan ang kaliwa’t kanang bayarin para sa mga requirements para sila ay makapaghanapbuhay, at matugunan ang kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan,” she said.

“By reducing some of their financial burdens in the process of finding jobs, indigent job applicants are afforded modest support and chances to find work,” she added.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment, more than 420,000 Filipinos lost their jobs in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic affected the economy and forced businesses to close.

In filing the measure last year, De Lima underscored the role of the government to assist the poor, through enactment of measures that will facilitate easy access to decent jobs that both secure income and the necessary entitlements for them.

Under SB 1435, or the “Indigent Job Applicants Discount Act,” indigent job applicants, whether locally or abroad, shall be granted a 20 percent discount in the payment of fees and charges for the following clearances and certificates requisite for pre-employment application.

These include, among others, clearance from the Philippine National Police, certificate of marriage from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Certificate of live birth from the PSA and Transcript of Records (TOR) from the State Universities and Colleges of the applicant.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)