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Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan believes that the State should have a mechanism to help senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) find jobs.

For this purpose, the rookie congressman filed House Bill (HB) No.10630, which of enacted would create job facilitation offices for these sectors.

Yamsuan said the measure will help qualified PWDs and seniors overcome the obstacles that they usually encounter in looking for employment, such as lack of assistance in accessing suitable job openings, biases against them related to physical abilities and age, and inadequate training.

Under HB No.10630, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is mandated to establish, operate and maintain job facilitation offices for PWDs and seniors, to be known as Local Centers for Inclusive Employment (LCIEs), upon the request of the local government units (LGUs) in capital towns, key cities and other strategic areas.

“Alam naman po natin na kahit may mga polisiya na tayo na layuning maging pantay ang oportunidad sa trabaho para sa mga kwalipikadong seniors at PWD, hirap pa rin ang karamihan sa kanila na makahanap ng maayos at disenteng hanapbuhay," Yamsuan said.

(We are all aware that despite policies promoting equal employment opportunities for qualified seniors and PWDs, they still find it difficult to find good and decent jobs.)

"Nanatili pa rin ang diskriminasyon laban sa kanila at bukod pa diyan, hindi nila alam kung saang opisina ng gobyerno sila lalapit para matulungan sila sa proseso ng paghahanap ng trabaho,” added the former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) assistant secretary.

(Discrimination against them persists, and on top of that, they do not know which government office to go to so that they can be aided in the process of finding jobs.)

“Our legislative proposal aims to fill this inadequacy by providing targeted support and resources to help qualified individuals from these vulnerable sectors find and retain gainful employment,” he added.

Yamsuan said he pursued the measure following consultations he conducted with seniors and PWDs in his home city of Parañaque, where many of them have complained about the lack of government assistance in helping them find jobs that match their qualifications and skills.

He also cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which revealed that only 353,000 PWDs were gainfully employed out of the 1.9 million who are within working age in 2022.

In the same year, the elderly sector faced a similar predicament where only 38.2 percent or about 965,200 of 2.54 million qualified senior citizens were employed.

Yamsuan said that under the bill, LCIEs will be operated as units under the existing Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) of LGUs.

The LCIE under each PESO shall be linked with the DOLE regional offices for coordination and technical supervision, and to the DOLE Central Office, to constitute the national employment service network.

Aside from facilitating prompt, appropriate and timely job opportunities for PWDs and seniors, each LCIE is also tasked under the bill to provide them with relevant information, education and training that they can use in enhancing their skills and employability.

To undertake these functions, LCIEs shall, among others, establish partnerships with employers; develop and administer testing and evaluation instruments; craft training modules; provide career guidance and occupational counseling; and conduct job fairs.

The DOLE, in turn, is mandated to set up and maintain a computerized PWD and senior citizens manpower registry. The registry shall contain information about the qualifications and skills of seniors and PWDs and the employment and business opportunities available to them.