Government Internship Program

Senate Office af the secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 DEC 17 P6:09 SENATE RECEIVED BY: 1633 S. No.. Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GOVERNMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE Recognizing the vital role of the youth in nation building, Article II, Section 13 of the Constitution provides that it is the policy of the State to inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs. In this pillar of governance, a sound internship program would provide the youth the necessary training ground that would enable their effective and efficient participation in public affairs. This is consistent with Section 3 of Article IX-B of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which provides that: "SECTION 3. The Civil Service Commission, as the central personnel agency of the Government, shall establish a career service and adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service. It shall strengthen the merit and rewards system, integrate all human resources development programs for all levels and ranks, and institutionalize management climate conducive to public accountability. It shall submit to the President and the Congress an annual report on its personnel programs."

As internship programs bridge the gap between the academe and the workplace, it shall be beneficial both to the government and the youth to have an institutionalized program that would secure the latter's pathway to civil service. Thus, this bill seeks to mandate all government agencies to provide compensation to internship programs that would complement its current recruitment efforts in order to ensure that our prospective civil servants, the youth, are well-motivated, properly trained, and aligned with the vision and mission of the government early on. In view hereof, early passage of this bill is earnestly sought. MARK A. VILLAR prou

Difice of the secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session 25 DEC 17 P6:09 SENATE 1633 → RECEIVED BY: S. No. _ Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GOVERNMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Tit/e. - This Act shall be known as the "Government Internship

2 Program."

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognized its vital responsibility to

enable the youth to fulfill its vital role in nation-building. It is the governing principle 5 of this Act that the youth be accorded opportunities through Government Internship Program (GIP), with implementing structures to implement the program and the 7 necessary funds for its sustained implementation.

Sec. 3. Creation of Government Internship Programs. - In order to attain

the declared policy, a "Government Internship Program" is hereby established and hereinafter referred to as the "GIP". The objectives of the GIP are the following: a) To provide wider training and development opportunities among the youth geared toward acquisition and/or application of knowledge and skills; b) To contribute in addressing the financial needs of the youth for their possible education needs; and

c) To involve and acquaint the youth on government programs, projects and activities and instill in them appreciation of public service and spirit of volunteerism.

Sec. 4. Definition of Terms - For purposes of this Act, the following terms

are defined: a) GIP Certificate - refers to a certification that shall be jointly issued by the CSC, NYC, and the involved institution after program completion and assessment of the GIP trainees' competencies to attest their acquired skills. b) GIP Graduate - refers to an intern who has completed the program services and has undergone the full duration of the program. c) Intern - refers to an eligible beneficiary selected to participate in the GIP. d) Internship - refers to the practical learning or job training of a GIP Trainee in a regular work environment in an institution for a period of three (3) to six (6) months, as determined by the institution. e) Institution - refers to Philippine government institutions, state universities and colleges, local government units, or any other legal entity registered under relevant laws that may provide a venue for internship of GIP trainees. f) Mentor - refers to the intern's direct supervisor. g) Youth — refers to persons whose age ranges from fifteen (15) to thirty (30) years old.

Sec. 5. Internship Guidelines. - The following shall be the guidelines for the

implementation of the GIP: a) Interns shall be Filipino citizens and are of 18 to 25 years of age at the time of the application period; b) Institutions shall designate an employee who will serve as GIP Desk Officer who will oversee the implementation of GIP within the institution;

c) Institutions shall designate an employee who will serve as GIP Desk Office who will oversee the implementation of GIP within the institution; d) Internship period shall be for a period of at least three (3) months to six (6) months at most and must be implemented on a year-round basis; e) Upon entry into the internship, interns shall be provided with a stipend amounting to 75% of the existing rate of Step 1, Salary Grade 1 of the government salary standardization law and shall be non-taxable. The amount of the stipend shall be based on the incurred. It shall trainee's actual attendance, absences, tardiness be paid in accordance with existing labor laws and civil service laws, rules and regulations; f) The institutions, as provided by law, and subject to budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations, shall provide additional entitlements such as: i) Transportation and meal provisions during activities that are held outside of the day to day office trainings; = Compensatory time off in case of activities held during weekends/holidays and/or beyond office hours; and iii) Incentives and rewards in acknowledgment of remarkable achievements (i.e., punctuality, perfect attendance); 9) An intern shall be a beneficiary of the program only once. As such, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in coordination with the National Youth Commission (NYC), shall create and maintain a database, which shall serve as monitoring tool for all institutions; h) GIP shall not be considered as employment. Thus, there is no employer-employee relationship between the beneficiary and the institution. GIP graduates shall be given preference in the hiring of workers in the institutions. After career coaching, the institution shall assess and determine whether the GIP graduate is ready to be placed for contractual or regular work;

i) Interns are hired for official purposes only. Institutions are prohibited from assigning tasks which go beyond official duties; j) Institutions shall conduct trainings, seminars and other developmental interventions for the interns including, but not limited to mentoring, coaching and performance evaluation; and k) Social protection incentives shall be provided to the interns and are encouraged for consideration by the institutions such as accident insurance, as they may be applicable. The process can be facilitated with either public or private insurance entities, and public insurance entities like GSIS, subject to budgetary requirements of the institution.

Sec. 6. Mechanics of Internship. - This process must be followed on the

hiring of interns: a) Recruitment and Acceptance of GIP Interns i) Program Advertisement and Recruitment of Interns. The institutions, through its designated GIP Desk Officers, shall ensure effective information dissemination of the institution implementation of the GIP including the period of applications. This may include, but not to the following: 1) Promotion/recruitment of interns for GIP through the institution website and other social networking sites; 2) Text blasts for applicable institutions; Print advertisements; Broadcast media; and Promotion through education institutions in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Local Government Units (LGUs). il. Applications for internship 1) Walk-in applicants may submit their accomplished application forms directly to the GIP Desk Officer.

2) Online applications may also be accepted through necessary official channels of the institution. Applicants must not be related within 3'd degree of affinity and consanguinity to officials and employees of the institution. ill. Screening of GIP Trainees 1) The screening and acceptance of interns may be initiated and facilitated by the institution at least three (3) weeks before the first day of service of the new batch of interns. 2) The screening, however, may not be limited to interviews. 3) The institution shall provide the applicants with a uniform application form which shall serve as the basis of the screening; and 4) No applicant must be discriminated against based on his/her gender, race, religion and economic status. iv. Acceptance of GDP interns. Once the selection process is done, an Order of Acceptance shall serve as their Appointment Paper. It shall be executed and signed by and between the GIP Desk Officer and the intern. It shall stipulate the Terms and Reference for the compliance of the one who shall be governed by such document. It shall also contain that there is "No Employer-Employee Relationship" between the beneficiary and the institution given that the hiring program is not an employment opportunity. b) Orientation of Interns. The new batch of interns shall attend a general orientation on or before their first day of training which shall be scheduled by the GIP Desk Officer. The orientation covers, but is not limited to the following: i) Government Internship Program (GIP) Rationale; Il) Institutional mandate and organizational structure;

ili) Relevant office policies and procedures; iv) Specific institutional programs and projects; v) Telephone Etiquette/Office Decorum; vi) Interpersonal Relations; Vii) Code of Conduct of Public Employees (RA 6713); and vili) Role of Interns in the Government Volunteers Program. All units under the institution shall send their representatives during the GIP Orientation to discuss programs, projects, undertakings, and activities of their respective offices. C) Work Assignments/Tasks of Interns. Institution officials and staff are considered mentors of all interns. They shall provide work assignments and responsibilities that will enhance and enrich the experiences of the program beneficiaries and develop their knowledge and skills. The responsibilities assigned to them may include, but not limited to the following: i) Clerical/Secretarial Work (e.g. typing, filing, sorting, photocopying); II) Customer Service (e.g. answering telephone calls, attending to official concerns of visitors) ill) Research Work (e.g. data gathering, survey administration, etc.); and iv) Support to Staff (e.g. logistics, assist in staff work). d) Activity/Program Participation of interns. Interns shall be required to attend or participate in relevant in-house trainings and seminars conducted by the institution. These trainings/seminars include but are not limited to the following: i) Good Citizenship; ii) Orientation on Basic Labor Rights; ili) Work Ethics and Professionalism; iv) Pre-Employment Seminar; V) Gender and Sensitivity Workshop; vi) Personality Development;

vii) Youth Leadership and Empowerment; VIII) Business Writing and Grammar 101; and ix Cultural Awareness Training. These training modules may be obtained from the National Youth Commission (NYC). Each institution may choose a minimum of six (6) from the suggested topics for its implementation. Other relevant topics may also include in the internal training and seminar for the interns. In response to the Public and Private Partnerships Framework, interns can also be tapped as delegates during activities outside of the institutional parameters where they are hired. These may be participation in outreach programs, film showing, volunteer works and youth engagements that are often initiated private groups, socio-civic associations and organizations that help the government in reaching out to the people. e) Mentoring, Coaching, and Performance Evaluation. In order to ensure that interns are given enough mentoring, the direct supervisor and the intern shall meet twice for the entire duration of internship. The interns shall accomplish two (2) performance evaluation sheets and the supervisor shall accomplish two (2) supervisor's evaluation sheets for the graduation. f) Termination of GIP Contract. Any of the following shall be a valid cause to terminate the training contract. By the institution: i) Habitual absenteeism of the intern; ii) Willful disobedience by the intern of the institution's rules, of insubordination of a lawful order of a supervisor; iii) Theft or malicious destruction of the institution's property by the intern; iv) Engaging in violence or other forms of misconduct in the internship or institution's premises by the intern; and

V) Poor performance for a prolonged period despite warning duly given to the intern. By the intern: i) Substandard or harmful working conditions within the institution's premises; ii) Cruel and inhumane treatment; and iii) Prolonged or continuing illness. iv) Either party may furnish the other party a notice of intent to terminate the GIP contract for cause defined in this section. In case the GIP contract has been terminated, replacement of an intern in an institution shall be allowed subject to the cause of termination. g) The graduation day for the interns shall be conducted preferably on the last day of internship. The mentoring forms used shall gauge the learnings of the interns during their internship in the institution. It is important that the interns themselves exhibit satisfactory, very good to excellent ratings from their supervisors during their last mentoring session which shall also reflect in the Performance Evaluation Form. This process shall be undertaken on the 3rd or last month of their service in the institution. The GIP Desk Officer shall likewise follow up on mentors of interns with performance evaluation rating of below three (3) by the second (2 a) month of internship. In order to empower them, interns shall be given the chance to plan and organize their graduation ceremonies.

Sec. 7. Grievance Committee. — The Grievance Committee shall have the

initial responsibility of setting differences in case of any violation of the GIP Contract or upon filing of a complaint by an aggrieved party. officials and The Grievance Committee shall be composed of the representatives of the institution that have jurisdiction over the internship. The Committee shall render a decision pursuant to pertinent rules and regulations. In case of failure by the Grievance Committee to settle the issue or

render a decision, or in case the complaint is against members of the Grievance Committee, the case shall be referred to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for appropriate action.

Sec. 8. Civil Service Eligibility. - All beneficiaries are mandated to take Civil

Service Eligibility (CSE) Examinations in order to keep an open mindset on government service after their internship period.

Sec. 9. Program Management. -

a) The CSC shall be the executing institution of the GIP. It shall serve as program manager that shall provide necessary technical and administrative assistance to concerned institutions. The regional and field offices shall supervise and monitor the implementation of the GIP in their respective jurisdiction. CSC shall conduct training for GIP Desk Officers prior to the implementation of the GIP. b) The CSC shall establish a GIP Unit in its Central, Regional and Field Offices. The unit shall provide training costs, administrative costs, or other fees, if any, as specified under a memorandum of agreement between CSC and the institution. c) The Oversight Committee shall oversee the implementation of the GIP. The Committee shall be chaired by the National Youth Commission (NYC). The Committee shall be composed of representatives from the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and representatives from the youth, employer, and labor sectors. A report shall be transmitted to both Houses of Congress through the CSC. d) All institutions shall be designated a GIP Desk Officer, who shall be lodged under the HR/Personnel Unit or any Special Unit of the Institution. The GIP Desk Officer will: i. Ensure that all processes required of the Program are met; and ii. Provide reports to CSC as the lead institution on GIP.

Sec. 10. Program Assessment. - To determine the necessary innovations,

improvements and rationalization needed for integration in the program, a periodic review and assessment on the delivery of the GIP services must be undertaken by each institution. This will also be a processing venue for all units under the institution to suggest mechanisms to further enhance the internal processes of the program as they may apply within their institutional parameters. This endeavor shall be undertaken at least twice a year. All institutions should submit a report and database of their implementation of the Government Internship Program fifteen (15) days after the end of every term.

Sec. 11. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the effective

implementation of the provisions of this Act shall be taken from the current year's appropriation of the CSC. Thereafter, such sums as may be needed for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General 16 Appropriations Act. Further, at least one percent (1%) shall be appropriated under the Maintenance, and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of institutions for the implementation of GIP in their respective jurisdictions, and shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 12. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any part or provision of

this Act shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions thereof not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

Sec. 13. Repealing Clause. - Executive Order 139, series of 1993, and all

other laws, decrees, rules and regulations, other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 14. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect upon its publication

in the Official Gazette or in at least one (1) national newspaper of general circulation. Approved,