A three-month-old public service announcement (PSA) on a new law that would benefit first-time job seekers is again making the rounds on Facebook but it misleads because it gives incomplete information.
The PSA is an infographic of a list of government-issued documents that can be availed of for free by first-time job applicants. These are found in Republic Act (RA) 11261 or the “First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act,” which was signed into law on April 10.
The image recirculating on Facebook misleads as it excludes contextual information found in the original post’s caption.
First published May 9 on the unverified Facebook page of former Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Albee Benitez, the infographic was accompanied by a caption that clearly states that the waived fees for government-issued certificates and clearances are only for those seeking a job for the first time:
“Para sa mga baguhang naghahanap ng trabaho, ito ang mga dokumento na libre niyo nang makuha bilang requirements sa pag-apply ng trabaho. Ito ang First-Time Job Seekers Act (RA1126) na pinirmahan ni President Rody Duterte.
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feeling thankful.
(For first-time job seekers, here are the documents that are required for applying for a job that you can get for free. This is the First-Time Job Seekers Act [RA 1126] that President Rody Duterte signed).”
feeling thankful.Though already a law, RA 11261 has yet to be enforced as its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) are still being finalized.
In a phone interview with VERA Files, the Bureau of Local Employment of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said implementing rules are currently being circulated and awaiting approval from three remaining government agencies — the Commission on Higher Education, Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Among the government-issued documents available for free to first-time job hunters are birth and marriage certificates, Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID), and police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearances, among others.
In a news release, Labor Secretary Silverstre Bello said the law will benefit almost 1.3 million fresh graduates every year who will seek their first employment.
(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
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