PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, the “Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act,” which is seen to address unemployment, underemployment, and other challenges in the labor market.
The law prioritizes improving the employability and competitiveness of Filipino workers through the implementation of upskilling and reskilling initiatives, as well as support micro, small, and medium enterprises and industry stakeholders.
It mandates the creation of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council (TPB-IAC), which will be led by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) secretary and co-chaired by the secretaries of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) with representatives from other agencies and various sectors.
The council will craft a masterplan for employment generation and recovery in the Philippines, conduct a comprehensive analysis of the employment status and labor market in the country and ensure the effective use of resources, harmonizing and complementing all government efforts.
In order to ensure that plans and programs are aligned with the administration’s Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan, the council will assist local governments in the planning, devising, and implementing employment generation and recovery programs.
Neda Secretary Arsenio Balisacan was elated by the passage of the measure, which he said is vital to the administration’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.
“We support the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act as it contributes to the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims to increase employability, expand access to employment opportunities, and achieve shared labor market governance,” he said.
“With the passage of the TPB, this will facilitate stronger coordination and partnership among relevant agencies and stakeholders for the efficient implementation of employment programs,” he added.
PDP 2023-2028 will serve as the country’s roadmap in building a more prosperous, inclusive and resilient society especially by reinvigorating job creation and accelerating poverty reduction by steering the economy back on the high-growth path and effecting economic transformation. (SunStar Philippines)