LAS Piñas Rep. Camille Villar is pushing for a bill providing fresh graduates of Philippine Tertiary Education, Universities, Colleges and Training Institutions a one-time cash grant of P5,000.

Villar said the fund can be utilized for job application, initial employment and settling-in as provided in House Bill 6542 or the proposed Fresh Graduates P5,000 One time Cash Grant.

In her explanatory note, Villar said it is a dilemma of a young person fresh out of college and desirous of a decent means of livelihood, to find himself at a loss on how to fund for his employment application prospects.

“The situation is somewhat oppressive, considering that these fresh graduates are usually seeking employment precisely to obtain a regular income for the first time and that by the time a student graduates, the family resources are often already severely depleted because of the high costs of a tertiary education,” Villar said.

The solon said her bill seeks to compliment and help fresh graduates by giving them grant which they can use as productivity/earnest fund during application for employment, transportation and settling-in amount.

“While some would label the grant as means of a dole-out, the higher purpose is actually investment in the emerging labor force which is for the best interest of the State,” the lawmaker added.

She further said it is an aegis of a caring government to provide relief and an expression of the principle of ‘Parents Patriae’ — to show the State’s commitment to promote the highest interest of the Filipino youth.