A neophyte congressman has underscored the importance of the Revised National Apprenticeship Program Bill, which was one of the 13 priority measures approved by the House of Representatives on Monday, Dec. 12.

The measure is contained in House Bill (HB) No.6523, which received 253 affirmative votes during nominal voting in Monday’s plenary session. Only three House members opposed the bill's passage on third reading.

Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas, one of the sponsors of the bill, says the enhanced apprenticeship program ensures the availability of qualified human resources in the field of “critical and in-demand technical skills”.

“As our country continues to recover from the economic challenges of the pandemic, more employment and livelihood opportunities await our growing labor force," said in a statement Tuesday, Dec. 13.

"We must welcome these opportunities with competence and better protection for our workers, particularly our youth," he noted.

The measure seeks to promote and enhance training and development of young workers in the labor force by establishing a revised apprenticeship program. It is a priority measure of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Salient points of the national apprenticeship program include streamlining an apprenticeship contract which protects “apprentices” or trainees from unjust labor practices and providing a “training allowance” worth at least 75 percent of the minimum wage.

“The revised apprenticeship program is our response to the growing clamor of young people to strengthen career guidance and skills development training, while providing them with allowances and benefits that protect their labor rights,” the solon added.

The apprenticeship bill has been consistently filed by Vargas’ brother and predecessor, former Rep. Alfred Vargas, since the 17th Congress.

“With President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at the helm, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s leadership, and the support of the Committee on Labor Chairperson Fidel Nograles in the House of Representatives, we remain hopeful that the apprenticeship bill will see the light of day and will soon be enacted into law, for the benefit of the Filipino people,” Vargas said.