VICE Mayor Edison Bilog has filed a measure which seeks to provide assistance to first time jobseekers or first time employed workers by waiving government fees and charges on the issuance of clearances and working permit fees. In the said proposal, Bilog specified Section 16 of Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 which provides that “every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare.”
The Vice Mayor stated that the City Government of Baguio has always been towards the promotion of full employment and equality of employment for all that it continues to strengthen and expand the employment opportunities and benefits for its constituents. He added that the city is a known destination for thousands of new graduates from high school, technical vocational courses, colleges and universities applying for jobs in the different private companies and public offices in the city and joining likewise them are the early leavers and students who took a leave of absence from their schools due to financial constraints.
With this, first time jobseekers and first time employed workers especially those that belong to the lower and middle income families often face challenges when producing pre-employment documents such as working permits, police clearances and even medical clearances to name a few, due to the fees and charges being collected by the different government agencies. With this measure, the city will be able to provide assistance to these persons thus lessening their economic woes and minimize the risks of being unemployed simply because they are unable to secure the necessary documents due to financial constraints.
Once approved, fees to be waived will include police clearance certificates, working permits and medical certificates or clearances from the Health Services office.