Finance Secretary Ralph Recto has expressed optimism that government interventions will help improve labor market conditions and result in more jobs, especially for the youth.
“Our priority is to expand opportunities for Filipinos to have quality jobs. We will help you find the right and decent job, strengthen training, and provide the necessary support, especially for those affected by climate change,” Recto said in a statement Thursday, September 11.
The Philippine Statistics Authority earlier reported that the country recorded 48.64 million Filipinos in the labor force.
A slight uptick in unemployment was recorded, however, due to weather disturbances that temporarily affected jobs in the agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and construction sectors.
To address this, Recto said the government will expand rural infrastructure, improve digital connectivity, and increase access to training opportunities in the agriculture sector.
He said the government will continue to expand job facilitation efforts and improve monitoring of employment data to inform policy-making.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has expanded job matching efforts through upgraded platforms, such as PhilJobNet, and local job fairs, including the World Café of Opportunities in Abra, which offers more than 5,000 vacancies.
Recto said a new data-sharing agreement between DOLE and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will help improve labor market analysis and policy planning.
To improve employability, the government also put in place training programs, such as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s technical-vocational training to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries.
The government also distributed starter toolkits to Special Training for Employment Program graduates.
Recto said that more flexible and community-based learning modalities were rolled out in Ilocos, while a TESDA-TCL partnership established a specialized training center for domestic refrigeration.
The government also launched the AI Academy to equip the workforce for the future, particularly in automation and machine learning. (PNA)
