First-time job seekers are now exempted from paying fees when applying for government certificates or documents.
This, as President Duterte signed into law the First Time Job Seekers Act or Republic Act No. 11261 last April 10, which mandates that all government agencies and instrumentalities shall not collect fees or charges from a first time job seeker.
Provided, that such fee or charge is paid in connection with the application for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, certificates or other documents usually required in the course of employment locally or abroad.
However, this benefit shall only be availed once.
No fees or charges shall be collected when obtaining the following: police clearance certificate, National Bureau of Investigation clearance, Barangay clearance, medical certificate from a public hospital provided that fees and charges collected for laboratory tests and other medical procedures required for grant of a medical certificate shall not be free of charge, birth certificate, marriage certificate, transcript of academic records issued by state colleges and universities, tax identification number, unified multi-purpose ID card, and other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be required from employers from job applicants.
To avail of the benefit, one shall present a barangay certification stating that he or she is a first time job seeker.
The waiver of fees, however, shall not include those collected in application to take a professional licensure examination conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission, application for a Philippine passport authentication and red ribbon documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs, application for a Career Service Examination with the Civil Service Commission and application for a driver’s license from the Land Transportation Office.
An interagency monitoring committee is also created to monitor the compliance of the concerned government agencies and instrumentalities and may recommend to the proper authorities the filing of administrative complaint against any person who refuses to comply with the law.
The beneficiaries of the Jobstart program and other laws that give similar exemptions for the documents or transactions enumerated herein shall not be qualified to avail of the benefits of this law.
Within 60 days from the effectivity of the law, the Labor Secretary, the chair of the interagency, shall issue implementing rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions.