Incoming PH elections to generate jobs for Filipinos — Labor chief

MANILA, Philippines — The incoming national and local elections are seen to create job opportunities for Filipinos, according to Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.

In a Palace briefing on Monday, Laguesma was asked how the government could maintain a good unemployment rate from December 2024 until the first quarter of 2025.

READ: PH unemployment rate hit record-low 3.8% in 2024

“The DOLE will always expect that the continued employment of Filipinos can be sustained. Alam natin na mayroong mga activities, especially ang ating mga exercises related to political exercises, makakatulong sa pagdagdag ng mga hanapbuhay,” he responded.

(The DOLE will always expect the continued employment of Filipinos to be sustained. We know that certain activities, especially those related to political exercises, can help create more job opportunities.)

But Laguesma noted that the agency is not relying on the incoming elections to keep the current unemployment rate of the country.

He said they are instead focusing on the Labor and Employment Plan 2023-2028, where the government conducts yearly monitoring of emerging occupations and finds ways to help the labor market adjust to global changes and development.

The Philippines’ unemployment rate eased to 3.1 percent in December 2024, while the overall unemployment rate for that year was at 3.8 percent—the lowest since 2005.

READ: Bongbong Marcos’ foreign trips yield P4 trillion worth of investments

Meanwhile, Laguesma reiterated in the briefing that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s foreign trips already generated about 201 investment leads for projects worth more than P4 trillion.

He said these projects were under the power and renewable energy sectors, electronics, and manufacturing.