The Philippine government has recently passed Republic Act 11261, also known as the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act. Passed primarily for the benefit of a first time jobseeker, the hopeful applicant, who is applying for his or her first job, will be exempted from payment of fees or charges which may be assessed by local government units, government-owned or controlled corporations, and government hospitals, which are usually paid in connection with documents required for employment application. These include applications for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, certificates and other documents usually required in the course of employment, either locally or abroad.
Aside from the general exemption given to first-time job seekers, the law specifically mentioned the following documents:
(a) Police clearance certificate;
(b) National Bureau of Investigation clearance;
(c) Barangay clearance;
(d) Medical certificate from a public hospital, provided that fees and charges collected for laboratory tests and other medical procedures required for the grant of a medical certificate shall not be free of charge;
(e) Birth Certificate;
(f) Marriage Certificate;
(g) Transcript of academic records issued by state colleges and universities;
(h) Tax Identification Number (TIN);
(i) Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) card; and
(j) Other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be required by employers from job applicants.
To be eligible, the hopeful applicant need only secure a barangay certification that he or she is a first time job-seeker.
Excluded from the list of waived fees and charges are those collected in connection with an application to take a professional licensure examination conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission, application for a Philippine passport authentication and red ribbon of documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs, application for a Career Service Examination with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), and application for a driver’s license from the Land Transportation Office.
Also, those already exempted under Republic Act 10869 or also known as the Jobstart Program of the Philippine government, are no longer eligible to claim the exemption under the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act.
To all first time jobseekers, good luck on your application!
Nicolas & De Vega Law Offices is a full service law firm in the Philippines. You may visit us at the 16th Flr., Suite 1607 AIC Burgundy Empire Tower, ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. You may also call us at +632 4706126, +632 4706130, +632 4016392.
