TACLOBAN CITY — The House Committee on Higher and Technical Education has approved at the committee level House Bill No. 2778, a proposed measure that seeks to institutionalize a one-time internship allowance for students completing required internship, practicum, or on-the-job training (OJT) programs.
The bill, titled the “Student Internship Allowance Act”, aims to grant a P10,000 one-time allowance to qualified students who successfully complete their required training, in recognition of the financial burden often shouldered by students for transportation, meals, documentation, and other incidental expenses during their internship period.
House Bill No. 2778 is principally authored by Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, together with Tingog party-list Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre.
During the committee deliberations on Tuesday, Acidre emphasized that internship and practicum programs serve as a critical bridge between education and employment, but frequently come at a high cost to students and their families.
“This measure recognizes that learning does not stop in the classroom. Internships are an essential part of preparing students for the workforce, and we should not allow financial constraints to prevent them from completing this requirement,” Acidre said.
Under the proposed measure, the allowance will be extended to students enrolled in public and private higher education institutions recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), as well as technical-vocational institutions accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Beneficiaries must have satisfactorily completed the required internship, practicum, or OJT hours under their respective academic or training programs.
The bill further provides that the allowance shall be non-taxable, non-transferable, and not subject to any deductions. Initial funding for the program will be sourced from the existing budgets of CHED and TESDA, with subsequent allocations to be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
The proposed Student Internship Allowance Act was among the policy measures put forward during the First Eastern Visayas Young Leaders Parliament held in December 2024, reflecting youth-led recommendations aimed at easing the transition from education to employment.
Following its approval at the committee level, the measure is now set to advance to the next stage of the legislative process.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
