Kabuhayan for Offenders Through Skills Advancement (Kosa) Act

Senate Office of the Secretarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NOV 17 P3:38 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: 1530 Senate Bill No. Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM AND PROVIDING JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY IN DETENTION FACILITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE The 1987 Constitution reminds us that every person possesses inherent dignity and is entitled to the full respect of their rights. Yet, in our correctional and detention facilities, many Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) still have very limited access to programs that could help them rebuild their lives. Without meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration, many of them fall back into the same cycles of poverty, exclusion, and recidivism. Recent figures from the Bureau of Corrections show that the PDL population has reached 54,820. Even more troubling are the conditions inside our facilities: an occupancy rate of 348% and a congestion rate of 248%. 1 These numbers speak for themselves. They reveal not only the overcrowding we have long struggled with, but also how urgently we need a different approach to incarceration in the country. This bill seeks to institutionalize a Skills Training Program for PDLs with the aim of equipping them with marketable competencies and sustainable livelihood opportunities both during detention and upon release. By providing technical and vocational training, the measure endeavors to enhance PDLs' employability, thereby enabling them to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society as productive members. Such training offers renewed hope to offenders, affirming that the skills Bureau of Corrections, Statistics on Prison Congestion as of 31 January 2025. Available at https://bucor.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Statistics-on-Prison-Congestion-as-of-Jan2025- 02132025.Ddf (Accessed on 9 July 2025).

they acquire can serve as a viable pathway to employment and economic stability after confinement. Beyond offering hope, these programs also help address recidivism, which is one of the most persistent challenges in our justice system. When PDLs have real prospects for employment and livelihood, they are less likely to return to crime. Giving them the means to start anew is not only a benefit to them; it strengthens the communities they will rejoin and supports a more humane and restorative justice system. In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

Senate Office of the Securtarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 25 NOV 17 P3:38 First Regular Session RECEIVED BY: SENATE Senate Bill No. 1530 Introduced by Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM AND PROVIDING JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY IN DETENTION FACILITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Kabuhayan for

2 Offenders through Skills Advancement (KOSA) Act."

SEC. 2. Establishment of Skills Training Program for Persons

4 Deprived of Liberty (PDLs). - The Technical Education and Skills Development 5 Authority (TESDA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and 6 Employment (DOLE), Department of Justice (DOJ) and its relevant agencies such 7 as the Bureau of Corrections, and the Department of Interior and Local 8 Government (DILG), including the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 9 (BJMP), shall establish skills training programs for all PDLs in the Philippines. In addition, a Job Search and Livelihood Assistance Desk shall be established inside prisons to help ex-offenders create sustainable employment once they are released from prison.

SEC. 3. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation

2 of this Act shall be sourced from the current budgets of TESDA, DepEd, DOLE, 3 DOJ, and DILG. Thereafter, the funds necessary for the continuous 4 implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 5 Act.

SEC. 4. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is

7 declared unconstitutional, the remainder hereof or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.

SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,

10 executive order, letter of instruction, rule, or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,