Bill providing free COVID-19 testing for jobseekers filed at Senate

Senator Sonny Angara on Thursday filed a bill providing free COVID-19 testing for jobseekers.

Senate Bill 2291 or the proposed Free COVID-19 Testing for Jobseekers Act will mandate the government to cover the additional pre-employment costs brought by the COVID-19 test.

This bill seeks to promote safety of jobseekers and ensure the sustainability of businesses and jobs in the country by subsidizing the COVID-19 testing, especially for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“Considering the imperative for the national government to ensure the labor market’s recovery, there is a need for a human-centered policy that actually encourages people to go back to work while cognizant of many changes brought about by the pandemic,” Angara said in his explanatory note.

“Through this policy, we are not only recognizing the importance of ensuring the safety and health of our entire workforce but we are also providing equal employment opportunities for younger cohorts and those who became unemployed during the pandemic to enter the labor market,” he added.

Under SB 2291, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will cover the cost of the COVID-19 testing.

The Department of Health, in cooperation of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry, will be tasked to ensure that the tests is fee and accessible for all jobseekers.

The free COVID-19 tests for jobseekers will run during the course of the pandemic national emergency.

Angara enumerated the individuals who can avail of the free COVID-19 tests:

• A young person who is finding employment for the first time;
• An unemployed person who is actively seeking employment; and
• A displaced worker whose employment was permanently terminated for authorized reasons or other causes arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, the COVID-19 testing centers should reserve slots for jobseekers who are qualified for the free tests under this bill.

The testing cost will be refunded by PhilHealth based on a prescribed price, Angara said.

SB 2291 also clearly stated that COVID-19 tests shall not be considered as an additional mandatory requirement for employment.

In a separate statement, Angara said that COVID-19 tests jobseekers are having a hard time complying with the requirement of potential employers that they include a negative COVID test result in the credentials they submit.

“For jobless breadwinners, it is choosing between two sacks of rice or a RT-PCR swab,” Angara said.

“It is a big start-up cost for people who are at the end of their ropes,” he added.

Although most of job applications are being done online, Angara said some are still requiring face-to-face interviews or actual demonstration of skills and a negative RT-PCR test is required as “gate pass.” — Hana Bordey/RSJ, GMA News