THE Department of Health (DOH), together with other government agencies, signed today the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act (FTJAA) Joint Operational Guidelines, where they will all collaborate to achieve an improved workforce and bolster healthcare service delivery for all Filipinos.
Through the guidelines, the implementing agencies will be able to strengthen their implementation and campaign on the benefits provided by the law and increase the awareness of the public for first-time jobseekers. Also, the DOH will be able to issue policies for its managed and operated hospitals and provide free lab tests needed for medical certificate issuances, especially for the indigent.
The DOH was represented by Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño of the Management Services Team during the signing which was held at the Kingsford Hotel in Parañaque City.
Also present to witness the historic signing were Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Secretary Ivan John Uy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Director-General Danilo Cruz of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Chairman John Henry Naga of the National Privacy Commission (NPC), Chairperson Karlo Alexei Nograles of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), National President Luningning Vergara of the Public Employment Service Office Managers Association of the Philippines (PESOMAP), and other government officials.
Republic Act No. 11261, also known as the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, was signed into law on April 10, 2019, and became effective on May 23, 2019. Its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) was signed partly on July 11, 2019, and became effective on October 25, 2019.
The ceremonial signing activity aims to signify the symbolic and formal culmination of the collective and collaborative effort of the member agencies of the FTJAA Inter-Agency Monitoring Committee to issue an operational guideline.