Angara to file bill of rights for new graduates if elected

ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Philippines – Senatorial candidate Juan Edgardo Angara plans to file a Bill of Rights for New Graduates if he is elected.

In his keynote address at the graduation rites of the Basilan State College, Angara said the bill seeks to provide new graduates with health, housing and social benefits while they are searching for employment.

The representative from Aurora province said that under the measure, new graduates shall not pay for their Social Security System and Pag-IBIG contributions, National Bureau of Investigation clearance, police clearance, and passport for one year after their graduation.

The measure also seeks to exempt fresh graduates from the payment of requirements for starting a business. The government shall also establish a program that would give financial and technical assistance to new graduates who wish to open a business.

The bill also aims to give new graduates the right to fair assessment and the right to a supportive wage, and to ensure their security of tenure six months after they are hired.

To ensure that new graduates are given equal opportunities, the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and Public Employment Service Office should ensure the availability of the correct list of job opportunities in the country and abroad.

“I want the government to acknowledge your right to a choice of opportunities,” Angara told the graduates in Filipino.

“By making it easier for graduates to know what’s out there, we hope to make it easier for them to dream, explore and discover whatever it is that will make them truly happy and fulfilled,” Angara added.