Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9509)
Republic Act No. 9509 is officially titled the 'Barangay Livelihood and Skills Training Act of 2008.'
The primary policy objective is to give the highest priority to social reform and focus on poverty alleviation through rural empowerment, ensuring equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth, and enhancing the quality of life especially for the underprivileged by expanding their economic productivity capacities.
The law targets the establishment of Livelihood and Skills Training Centers in every fourth, fifth, and sixth class municipalities.
Other municipalities can be covered upon determination by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), considering factors such as population density, demographic status, poverty incidence, income class, potential abundance of raw materials, and accessibility of existing livelihood skills training programs.
The Center is tasked to conduct training needs determination and skills mapping, gather and maintain training inventories, coordinate provision of training, develop training curricula, develop in-house trainers, monitor and evaluate training programs, and network with other livelihood development efforts including marketing and financing.
The Municipal Advisory Board is chaired by the municipal mayor and composed of representatives from business organizations, chambers of commerce, cooperatives, MSMEs, rural bankers, civil society organizations, and people's organizations involved in livelihood and skills training. It also includes ex officio members from departmental provincial officers.
The Municipal Advisory Board advises and provides policy direction to guide the development of plans, programs, and activities of the Center, and it develops information, education, and communication plans to promote the Center.
Training includes practical skills for home-based income generating projects, business development services, entrepreneurial management, financial literacy, community participation skills, occupational safety, labor rights, values that promote empowerment, and sustainable development practices.
Satellite or mobile centers may be established in barangays or clusters as needed to ensure training reach. Private persons or organizations may sponsor these centers provided their activities align with the Act's objectives and the priority training needs identified by the municipal center.
The municipal mayor has overall supervision of the Centers with assistance from the Municipal Advisory Board. The Municipal Training Coordinator is appointed by the mayor to oversee daily operations and coordinate training services with other municipal offices.
The municipal government must allocate funds from local revenues as deemed appropriate for the operation and maintenance of Centers and their satellites.
The National Government, through various agencies such as NAPC, DILG, and TESDA, promotes establishment, assists local governments, develops programs to facilitate Centers, allocates funding, and monitors implementation ensuring coordinated efforts across national and local levels.
Donations or bequests received for the program are exempt from taxes and fees under the National Internal Revenue Code provisions applicable to such contributions.
Under the Separability Clause, if any provision is held invalid, the rest of the provisions remain in full force and effect as if the invalid provision was not included.