College students undergoing work-related internships may soon be entitled to mandatory allowances under a proposed measure seeking to make internship programs more accessible, fair, and protective of student trainees.
House Bill No. 9027, or the proposed National Higher Education Internship Framework Act, seeks to require companies, government agencies, and other host institutions to provide stipends to students who perform productive work as part of their required internship programs.
Under the bill, qualified interns would receive an allowance equivalent to at least 75 percent of the prevailing regional minimum wage, based on actual attendance and hours worked.
The proposal aims to ease the financial burden on students who are often required to shoulder transportation, meals, uniforms, documents, and other internship-related expenses while completing a graduation requirement.
It also seeks to address concerns over internship and training programs that require students to pay placement, training, administrative, or program fees, making practical work experience more difficult to access for students from low-income households.
“Many college students are expected to report to work, follow office schedules, and perform essential tasks that contribute to the operations of their host institutions. It is only fair that they receive reasonable compensation for their time and effort,” Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla, the bill’s author, said.
The measure also aims to establish uniform national standards for internship programs in both public and private institutions to ensure that students receive meaningful training instead of being treated merely as unpaid labor.
Aside from the mandatory allowance, the bill requires host institutions to enter into formal internship agreements that clearly define the program’s learning objectives, duration, work expectations, supervision arrangements, and benefits.
The proposed framework also mandates safety and liability coverage for interns, as well as accessible grievance mechanisms for complaints involving harassment, mistreatment, unsafe working conditions, or other violations.
To encourage compliance, participating institutions may be granted incentives such as possible tax deductions on internship stipends, access to government technical assistance programs, recognition awards, and inclusion in a national directory of accredited internship providers.
Supporters of the measure said a clearer internship framework would help protect students, improve the quality of workplace training, and give young Filipinos a fairer path toward employment.