With six months left for 2021, several government agencies and business groups have signed a manifesto to generate 1 million jobs by the end of this year.
At the closing ceremony of the 42nd National Conference of Employers yesterday, both the public and private sectors vowed to implement their tasks to recover 1 million jobs that were lost due to the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
The “Reform. Rebound. Recover: One Million Jobs for 2021” manifesto was signed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Transportation, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, Commission of Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the government.
For the private sector, the document was signed by Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, Philippine Constructors Association Inc., Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc., and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc.
“On behalf of the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) Task Force, we welcome this partnership project with the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines to generate one million jobs for 2021. This is a big boost in our work at the NERS Task Force in bringing back lost employment and reinvigorating the labor market with increased economic activities,” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said.
Lopez, who also chairs the NERS Task Force, said the government commits to meet its deliverables and implement the programs and policies requested by the business sector to achieve the one million job generation by end of the year.
Under the manifesto, the NERS Task Force shall secure vaccination for qualified workers, provide assistance to businesses by improving investment climate, provide profiles of workers who can be referred to existing job vacancies, and the implementation of Telecommuting Act and promote other alternative work arrangements.
The government side shall provide trainings for workers who will not qualify for job vacancies, coordinate with local government units on the provision of transportation services to workers who will get their vaccination and need to transfer from one LGU to another, organize job caravans, and provide other support mechanisms in the implementation of the project.
“We acknowledge that this is a bold task given the prevailing circumstances. However, we are confident that under the able and strong leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte and with the government and employers working together, we can deliver the creation of one million jobs for 2021,” Lopez said.
Meanwhile, private sector’s responsibilities include identifying job vacancies from its member companies, finding jobs for the qualified but unemployed; recommending specific improvements in the business environment to the NERS Task Force, co-organizing job caravans, providing necessary assistance such as on boarding process, vaccination process, and reskilling and upskilling referrals in post-job caravans, and providing other support and monitoring mechanisms in the implementation of the project.*PNA
