Sen. Sonny Angara on Thursday filed a measure providing free COVID-19 tests for all jobseekers, saying that it is a "needed employment stimulus" as the country moves to bounce back from the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy.
Angara said that while many job applications are now accepted online, the hiring process still often involves applicants doing face-to-face interviews or actual demonstration of trade skills "which requires a negative RT-PCR test as gate pass."
This "COVID test wall" discourages the unemployed to look for jobs during the pandemic, said Angara.
To cure this, Angara's Senate Bill 2291 seeks to mandate PhilHealth to cover the cost of COVID-19 testing for the following individuals:
- 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.
These individuals can avail of free COVID-19 testing during the course of the pandemic national emergency, the measure read.
Existing COVID-19 testing centers are also mandated to reserve slots for jobseekers who qualify for free testing, the cost of which will be refunded by PhilHealth based on its prescribed price, it added.
The Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Trade and Industry are tasked under the measure to ensure that COVID-19 testing is free and accessible for all jobseekers.
