By Brian Campued
The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains committed to sustaining the improvement in employment and labor market conditions and addressing the unemployment rate in the country.
Malacañang made the assurance after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a decline in the jobless rate to 4.7% in April from 5.0% in March.
“Dapat po tayong laging maging positibo dahil hindi naman po tumitigil ang gobyerno sa pagtatrabaho. Lalong-lalo na po ang Pangulo, nagtatrabaho po palagi at kinakailangan talagang maibigay ang kakayanin sa ating mga kababayan at taumbayan,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing Tuesday.
Castro also emphasized the government’s continued efforts to attract investment that generates quality jobs as well as provides livelihood opportunities for Filipinos affected by economic disruptions.
“Tuloy-tuloy po ang ating pamahalaan na makapagbigay ng magandang trabaho sa ating mga kababayan,” Castro said.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is likewise intensifying its employment agenda, particularly in improving social protection programs and services while equipping workers with the skills needed to compete in a rapidly evolving labor market.
In a news release, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino highlighted the critical need to create clearer pathways from education to employment, emphasizing that Filipino youth must be actively prepared for the jobs.
Tolentino also noted the nationwide “DOLE TRABAHO AGAD” job fairs, which continue to connect job seekers with immediate employment opportunities, as well as the agency’s expanded collaboration with educational institutions to support school-to-work transition programs.
Among the DOLE’s initiatives to boost youth employment programs is its partnership with the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) through a memorandum of understanding signed by Tolentino and PLM President Atty. Domingo Reyes Jr. on June 8.
“Layunin ng nasabing MOU na patatagin ang youth employability programs ng DOLE sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng oportunidad sa mga estudyante upang makakuha ng internship, practicum at on-the-job training sa ahensiya,” Castro said.
“Maliban dito, magkakaroon din ng dagdag educational opportunities ang mga empleyado ng DOLE sa tulong ng mga academic and technical programs ng PLM. Angkop ito para sa mga empleyado na nais magdagdag ng kaalaman at paunlarin pa ang kanilang sarili,” she added.
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