Allowances for trainees or apprentices in the public and privates sectors

The House of Representatives is now in receipt of a proposed law granting a

monthly allowance to trainees or apprentices in the public and private sectors.
Countless of them even end up paying for the services they rendered! Rep. Peter
. !nabia "#
st
$istrict% isamis &riental'% author of H( )*+,% laments.
!nabia is proposing to institutionali-e the granting of monthly allowance to
trainees or apprentices in the public and private sectors and providing penalties for any
violation thereof.
H( )*+,% to be .nown as the Training /llowance 0nstitutionali-ation /ct or
12#*% see.s to put an end to this e3ploitative practice by institutionali-ing the granting of
training allowance or stipend to countless and helpless trainees or apprentices.
4hile we recogni-e the fact that there are still good employers% who provide
training benefits even without legal mandate% several employers ta.e advantage of the
needs of prospective 5ob applicants by availing of their services for free or worse% charge
them a training fee% !nabia pointed out.
The author e3plained that the severe lac. of employment opportunities in the
country has compelled the public to find ways and means to gain practical e3perience on a
particular 5ob.
6nowing fully well how important it is for a prospective 5ob applicant to have 5ob
e3perience or formal training% many employers% both in the public and private sectors% ta.e
advantage of the situation by engaging the services of a trainee or apprentice% which in
most cases without providing monetary benefits% he added.
0ronically% he stressed that many trainees or apprentices even end up paying for the
service training they have rendered in e3change for a Certificate of Training.
The most common victims are our poor nurses desiring to wor. abroad% who pay
hospitals% including government hospitals% instead of being paid for their services% !nabia
e3plained in dismay.
7ec. ) of H( )*+, states8 0t is obligatory on the part of any employer% both in the
public and private establishments% which engages the services of a trainee or apprentice to
pay a training allowance e9uivalent to the prescribed minimum wage in a particular area.
NR # 3484
JUNE 1, 2014
7ec. : also states8 ;o employer shall engage the services of a trainee or apprentice
unless a Contract of Training containing therein the specific 5ob and wor.station% training
allowance or stipend% which in no case shall be lower than the minimum wage in a
particular area% and the period of training% which in no case shall be more than si3 ",'
months% otherwise the trainee or apprentice shall be automatically hired as a regular
employee or officer.
The bill also stipulates a penalty provision which states that imprisonment for si3
",' months or a fine of not e3ceeding P#22%222 or both shall be imposed% at the discretion
of the court% upon any person found guilty of violating the proposed /ct.
0f the offender is a corporation or government agency% the penalty or fine or both at
the discretion of the court shall be imposed upon the head of the Human Resource
$evelopment or its e9uivalent office% which supervises the training.
The bill has been referred 5ointly to the Committee on <abor and =mployment and
the Committee on Civil 7ervice and Professional Regulations. "*2' dpt