QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Civil Service Commission (CSC) on 12 May 2023, Chairperson Karlo Nograles signed the Joint Operational Guidelines (JOG) for Republic Act No. 11261 or the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act (FTJAA) along with other heads of government agencies at the Kingsford Hotel Grand Ballroom in Parañaque City.
The FTJAA was signed into law in April 2019 and became effective in May of the same year. It stipulates that no fees or charges shall be collected from any first-time jobseeker (FTJ) by concerned government agencies if they meet certain criteria, such as being a Filipino citizen, first-time jobseeker, actively looking for employment, and a resident of the barangay that issued their barangay certification.
Jobseekers who are interested in government positions can obtain their Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for free. The COE is a document issued by the CSC to determine whether an applicant is qualified for career service positions. The CSC issued Resolution No. 2000363 in February 2020, which provides one (1) original and one (1) authenticated copy of COE for free to first-time job applicants who passed the Career Service Professional and Subprofessional Examination and to eligible individuals with special eligibilities under special laws and CSC issuances.
Individuals who previously applied for a COE but have not been employed and are still eligible for the benefits provided by the FTJAA can still be granted the COE without any charge. Civil service eligibles can obtain their COE from the CSC Regional Office where they took the CSE-PPT examination. In the National Capital Region, the CSC office is located at No. 25 Kaliraya St., Brgy. Doña Josefa, Quezon City.
To qualify for the benefits provided by the FTJAA, initial jobseekers must obtain a barangay certification stating that they are classified as an FTJ, execute an Oath of Undertaking, and adhere to the agency’s established procedures for obtaining the necessary documents to fulfill the pre-employment requirements free of charge. After obtaining employment, they are expected to report back to their barangay.
Since the enactment of the FTJAA and its Implementing Rules and Regulations until December 31, 2022, a total of 630,846 pre-employment documents have been issued to FTJs, resulting in an estimated waiver of P83,239,810.00 in government fees.
The JOG signing was attended by member-signatories from various government agencies, including the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Privacy Commission, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Public Employment Service Office Managers Association of the Philippines.
The ceremony was also attended by Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development Chairperson Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Senate Majority Floor Leader Senator Joel Villanueva, and House Committee on Labor and Employment Chairperson Congressman Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles, who congratulated the initiative's success. (CSC / PIA-NCR)
