PROBABLY one of the key strategies that could help alleviate poor is developing government programs that could help them help themselves. These programs could include livelihood programs that will allow them to build a business or skills training that will allow them to get a job.
Therefore it is a welcome development that President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law Republic Act (RA) 11230, which establishes Tulong-Trabaho Fund, in a bid to address unemployment and job-skills mismatch.
The law grants free access to technical-vocational education and training (TVET) to unemployed, uneducated, and untrained person at least 15 years of age, and to employed workers who intend to develop and expand their current skills and trainings.
This law will strengthen the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in making skills training more accessible to Filipinos. If the fund is used properly and shielded from corrupt government officials, it will benefit a lot of Filipinos, especially those coming from poor families.
With more Filipinos getting jobs, we are hopeful that the lives of Filipinos will also be uplifted.
However, there is a need for the government and the private sector to work closely. The two have to determine what jobs are really in demand by the different industries to prevent job mismatch.
It is also important also for Tesda to work with industries in developing training modules that are up to industry standards.
Instead of just doling out cash to help out the poor, we hope the government now will create more programs that allow the poor to help themselves. With the Tulong-Trabaho Fund, more Filipinos will be hopefully employed and as a result get out of poverty.