QUEZON CITY, (PIA) –The Joint Operational Guidelines that will institutionalize the procedures for all implementers and the issuance of pre-employment documents for the first time jobseekers as provided under the Republic Act No. 11261 or the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act has been signed.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), with fifteen other signatory-agencies of the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act Inter-Agency Monitoring Committee (FTJAA IAMC), formally signed the FTJAA Joint Operational Guidelines (JOG) in a ceremony held on 12 May 2023 at the Kingsford Hotel Manila, Parañaque City.

DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma, in his keynote address during the signing event, underscored the prime importance of the FTJAA JOG, to ease the financial burden of the first time jobseekers.

“Isa ito sa mga pangarap namin sa Kagawaran — ang mabawasan ang pasanin ng mga ‘first time jobseeker’ sa paghahanap ng trabaho.” Further, he recognizes the importance of every member of the FTJAA IAMC. Kaakibat ng DOLE sa FTJAA ang kabuuan ng Inter-Agency Monitoring Committee na binubuo ng 25 ahensiyang handang maglingkod sa ating mga kababayan,” Laguesma said.

Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres, for her part shared the collective goal of servicing all potential availees.

“It is our goal to assist the 1.2 million potential graduates annually who are seeking employment by continuously engaging with the relevant stakeholders and push forward our collaboration with other government and development partners to realize our envisioned economic transformation for a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society,” Torres said.

Signatories who participated in the event include Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John E. Uy, Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director-General Danilo P. Cruz, National Privacy Commission (NPC) Chairman John Henry D. Naga, and Public Employment Service Office Managers Association of the Philippines (PESOMAP) National President Luningning Y. Vergara. Other member-signatories in attendance are from the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Completing the rest of the FTJAA IAMC are its member-witnesses present, with the attendance of National Youth Commission (NYC) Executive Director Leah T. Villalon, Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) President Tirso A. Ronquillo, and representatives from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Justice (DOJ), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Representative Juan Fidel F. Nograles, Chairperson of the House of Committee on Labor and Employment also graced the event and witnessed the ceremonial signing of the FTJAA JOG.

The FTJAA has been implemented since 2019 after the enactment of the R.A. No. 11261.

Beneficiaries are over 300,000 to date with estimated 83 million pesos of government fees waived.

Among the salient features of the FTJAA JOG include the definition of a first time jobseeker, proof of eligibility and validity, reporting and monitoring mechanisms, and grievance procedures.(dole/pia-ncr)