SENATOR Risa Hontiveros has filed a measure that will provide a national framework for interns’ rights and welfare.

In pushing Senate Bill 377, Hontiveros stressed that interns are more than just students seeking hands-on training as they also contribute to the productivity of the company or organization hosting them.

“It is then to the country’s best interest that the interns have their rights protected and their service recognized through just compensation,” she said in her explanatory note.

The bill seeks to protect the interns from exploitative practices.

The senator said that internship programs are mutually beneficial for all the parties involved.

For the Higher Education Institutions, industry exposure of their students elevates their learning while for industries, interns could provide unique insights for improvement, new talent that can invigorate their operations and overall performance, and fresh perspectives.

For the students, internships provide avenues to apply and test theoretical knowledge from the classroom to the real-world, prepare them for the realities of the workplace, and help them in developing essential skills.