THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is urging Filipino laborers to consider taking on local employment.
This is after the Dole decided to slow down the deployment of construction workers overseas.
In a statement, Dole Secretary Silvestre Bello III asked skilled workers to consider local employment in the construction industry in support to the “Build, Build, Build” program of the government.
“Construction workers are badly needed here in our country,” said Bello.
“There is a strong local jobs growth but vacancies are not filled,” he added.
The labor chief said that around 800,000 to 1 million skilled workers are needed in the field of construction, architecture and engineering.
Earlier, Bello bared that the government is slowing down the overseas deployment of construction workers as much as 90 percent.
This, Bello said, is in response to the manpower shortage in the local construction industry.
The “Build, Build, Build” program has lined up about 75 projects. (HDT/ SunStar Philippines)