SENATOR Jinggoy Estrada is pushing for a measure providing for Magna Carta of the Out-of-School Youth (OSY).

Estrada filed Senate Bill 2633 or the proposed Magna Carta of the Out-of-School Youth aiming to recognize, protect and promote the rights of the OSY.

In his explanatory note, Estrada cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showing that nearly 20 percent of 42.18 million Filipino children aged 5-24 years old were not attending school in 2022.

Among the reasons cited were finished schooling, employment, lack of personal interest, marriage, and high cost of education/financial problem.

He said that while available information concerning basic education shows a constant increase in the number of enrollees and a decrease in dropout rates from School year 2013-2014 to School Year 2022-2023, policies can be further strengthened to ensure universal access to quality education and completion.

The bill also seeks to empower and encourage the OSY to contribute to nation-building and to give support to the improvement of the total well-being of the OSY by providing learning and employment opportunities as well as the needed social services and interventions.