PH Government Achieved Creation of 1 Million Jobs for Economic Recovery: DTI

With the creation of the Philippines’ employment recovery plan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Trade and Industry has now said that the PH government has now fulfilled its goal of being able to provide 1 million jobs last 2021, as said by the DTI last Wednesday. “Yes, naabot na natin ‘yan… Naipagpatuloy ‘yung ‘Build, Build, Build’, marami nang construction [work], construction workers,” says trade secretary Ramon Lopez during a televised briefing.

(Yes, we reached that already. After the Build, Build, Build program continued, many construction workers had jobs.)

Lopez says that the program has led to around 700,000 job opportunities for Filipinos in the construction sector, and 200,000 job opportunities from the agency’s livelihood package and the labor department’s student employment program. “Ngayon, ang pagbubukas ulit ng tourism sector — hotels, restaurants, mga resorts, tourism-related services. Easily aabutin talaga nating more than 1 million with all these sectors na hindi pa natin nakikita.” Lopez adds.

(With the opening of the tourism sector, hotels, restaurants, resorts, and tourism-related services, we will really reach that 1 million goal.)

He also comments on additional job opportunities from other government agencies such as the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST): “[Sa Department of Transportation] mayroon silang service contracting program, libreng sakay, 11,200 [jobs]. [Sa Department of Environment and Natural Resources] may sustainable rural development, at saka ‘yung DOST, small enterprise trading program. Lahat don, kulang 1 million na ‘yon,” Lopez says.

(DOTr had a service contracting program creating 11,200 jobs. In DENR, they had a sustainable rural development, in DOST they initiated the small enterprise trading program. All in all, that’s already 1 million.)

The trade official also adds that this number still has not reflected other employment opportunities generated from other sectors, and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has yet to create an official report on this.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, jobless Filipinos reached a total of 3.13 million last February, beating January’s numbers of 2.93 million.

An executive order which created the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) was previously signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, which with the assistance of the private sector and government, aimed to create training and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos.

Source: ABS CBN News