Gov’t agencies spearhead drafting of national employment program

AP

The departments of labor and of trade are leading multisectoral efforts to draw up a national employment program (NEP) that would be implemented under the Duterte presidency, with the aim of creating 1.2 million jobs yearly.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a press briefing Thursday the proposed NEP, being crafted through a two-day Employment and Livelihood Summit that wraps up today, would be the action plan under the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 “to provide decent jobs for Filipinos.”

The summit, being held at the SM Aura Tower in Taguig City, is meant to identify strategies to increase employment levels, improve access to job opportunities and prepare the workforce for the needs of industries.

“We want to increase job creation by 15 percent to 16 percent yearly,” Bello said.

“We are also taking into account the intention to address unlawful contractualization while guarding workers’ right (to form and join labor unions).”

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the expected drivers of the new jobs program would be manufacturing, services and agribusiness.

“We’re looking at food processing and business process outsourcing,” Lopez said. “Also, the hottest manufacturing businesses today involve the aerospace industry and the automotive industry, where we are seeing big companies take part in the CARS (Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy) program to make completely built-up vehicles in the country.”

The trade chief said the new jobs program is intended to further bring down unemployment in the next several years.

“We also want to address the need for employed people to continue to look for additional jobs (to address underemployment) and to continually resolve the mismatch of employer demand and available skills in the job market,” he said.

In a related matter, Lopez said Coca-Cola Femsa has reiterated its commitment to invest in the Philippines $200 million yearly over the next five years.

He said these investments will go toward funding new lines and distribution centers throughout Coca-Cola Femsa’s manufacturing and commercial footprints in the Philippines.

“(Such move would mean) generating substantial employment and creating more micro-business opportunities in the company’s supply chain,” Lopez said.

“The objectives of this commitment is in line with the government’s poverty alleviation and inclusive growth agenda,” he added.