Senate Bill No. 1278

Sen. Bam: Patibayin ang paghanga sa mga Pilipinong manunulat, ituro ang Panitikan sa kolehiyo

Sen. Bam Aquino questioned the Supreme Court’s decision excluding Panitikan and Filipino as core subjects in college, saying that we should strengthen our Filipino identity and appreciation for our national language.

 “Sa kolehiyo lumalim ang pagmamahal ko sa bayan. Kaya mahalaga na hanggang tertiary level, tuluy-tuloy ang pag-aaral at pagpapalalim sa ating pagiging Pilipino, at malaking bahagi dito ang ating literatura,” said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor of the law granting free education in state universities and colleges.

Sen. Bam shared that it was in his college years that he became more aware of the country’s needs, and he emphasized that Filipino literature can help deepen the youth’s love and appreciation for the struggles, revolutions and victories of fellow Filipinos.

“Kilalanin at ipagmalaki natin ang mga kababayan nating makata’t manunulat na maaaring maging inspirasyon sa ating mga estudyante sa kolehiyo,” said Sen. Bam, vice chairman of the Committee on Education.

Sen. Bam pushed for the passage of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act as principal sponsor during his time as chairman of the Committee on Education.

Currently, Sen. Bam is also pushing for other education-related measures, including Senate Bill No. 1278 or the Trabaho Center in Schools Act.

The measure aims to establish a job placement office in every public high school and SUC in the country, which will provide industry matching, career counseling, and employment facilitation.

Trabaho Centers must also address the skills mismatch and ensure employability of students upon graduation by using feedback from employers to better develop the school’s curriculum and training programs.

Overall, Sen. Bam has 35 laws to his name.

Sen. Bam to DepEd: Ensure graduates’ employability, don’t ignore employers

Senator Bam Aquino urges the Department of Education to strengthen academic-industry linkages and make sure K-to-12 graduates are ready to enter the workforce.

 “Student readiness to enter the workforce is a serious issue that is better addressed by developing strong relationships between schools and companies, what we call academic-industry linkages,” said Sen. Bam.

“Huwag natin balewalain ang kinabukasan ng mga K-to-12 graduates. Mahalagang makonsulta ang employers at mga kinatawan ng industriya upang matiyak na handa nang magtrabaho ang K-to-12 graduates,” Sen. Bam added.

Sen. Bam issued the reaction after Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) expressed concern over the lack of minimum on-the-job training requirements among the first batch of K-to-12 students.

 The PCCI said the first batch of K-to-12 students only have 80 hours or two weeks of OJT experience, making them unqualified for available jobs.

 “The Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education should have dynamic curriculum that can address concerns of current and future employers,” said Sen. Bam.

The senator also called on concerned government agencies to come up with a process that will regularly assess education curriculum vis-a-vis necessary skills needed for jobs

As former chairman of the Senate Committee on Education in the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam filed Senate Bill No. 1278 or Trabaho Centers in Schools Act, which seeks to establish job placement offices in public high schools and state universities and colleges (SUCs).

 The measure mandates the establishment of a Trabaho Center in every public high school and SUC with main services that include: 1) Industry Matching, 2) Career Counseling, and 3) Employment Facilitation.

 Trabaho Centers should address the skills mismatch and ensure employability of students upon graduation by using feedback from employers to better develop the school’s curriculum and training programs.

  Sen. Bam is also the principal sponsor of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, making college tuition and miscellaneous fees free in public universities, colleges and TESDA-run technical-vocational institutions.

Bam: Trabaho Centers in Schools Act to address unemployment and jobs mismatch, up for plenary discussions

A measure establishing job placement centers in high schools and state colleges and universities (SUCs) has hurdled the committee level and will be up for plenary discussions, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.

 In his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill No. 1278 or Trabaho Centers in Schools Act, Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education, said the bill, if enacted into law, will help ensure that suitable jobs await both high school and college graduates.

 By institutionalizing job placement offices in public schools and SUCs, Sen. Bam said it will help create employment opportunities and address the prevalent jobs mismatch in the country by serving as bridge between the job market and supply of graduates.

 “Nag-aral at nagtapos. Nagtrabaho at umasenso. Iyan ang pangarap natin para sa bawat Pilipino. Siguraduhin natin na may trabahong naghihintay para sa bawat graduate,” said Sen. Bam, also the author of the measure.

 “Siguraduhin rin natin na may sapat na kaalaman at kakayahan ang mga bagong graduate na punuin ang mga job vacancies,” he added.

 Based on latest data from the Philippine Statistics Office, the country’s unemployment rate is 4.7 percent with over 2 million jobless Filipinos. The number of underemployed Filipinos is pegged at 7.51 million.

“Clearly, there is a need, not only to generate employment opportunities, but also to address the jobs mismatch in the country,” Sen. Bam said.

 The measure mandates the establishment of a Trabaho Center in every public high school and SUC with main services that include: 1) Industry Matching, 2) Career Counseling, and 3) Employment Facilitation.

The Trabaho Center must maintain an updated database of employers, contacts, and job opportunities in the locality and utilize this to provide students counseling on lucrative field of study and what specific jobs they can expect to apply for upon graduation.

  “The key to the success of each Trabaho Center is its relationship with potential employers and industries in their area,” Sen. Bam said.

 The Trabaho Centers can address the skills mismatch by giving feedback for teaching modules and working with TESDA to better develop the skills of graduates and ensure employability upon graduation.

 “This simple intervention can strengthen the link between education and employment and can build a steady bridge for our graduates to cross over to stable jobs and sustainable livelihood,” said Sen. Bam.

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