MANILA, Philippines — Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal is pushing for a 50-percent discount on government-issued pre-employment documents for indigent jobseekers, saying the cost of securing requirements should not keep poor Filipinos from finding work.
Nazal said he would seek to raise the proposed 20-percent discount under House Bill 8413 to 50 percent when the measure reaches plenary debates.
“Expenses should not be a hindrance to any Filipino seeking employment,” Nazal said.
The House Committee on Ways and Means has approved HB 8413, a substitute measure consolidating 14 bills seeking discounts on pre-employment documents, including Nazal’s HB 2068.
Nazal said his proposed 50-percent discount would benefit Filipinos whose income falls below the official poverty threshold, including households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
He questioned whether the revenue impact on government agencies would be substantial enough to justify limiting the discount to 20 percent.
“While we support HB 8413 in principle, we believe that a discount of more than 20 percent on pre-employment documents would be more meaningful and appreciated by jobseekers who are among the poorest of the poor,” he said.
Nazal also wants indigency certification to be made more accessible through local social welfare offices or Public Employment Service Offices when Philippine Statistics Authority or Community-Based Monitoring System records are unavailable or outdated.
He further proposed a one-stop or digital process to prevent jobseekers from incurring additional transportation and other expenses while securing their employment documents.
