Private sector and government have renewed their commitment to create more decent, productive and quality employment beyond their earlier 1-million job pledge in the last six months of 2021.
The parties yesterday signed a manifesto towards this end on the occasion of 120th Labor Day commemoration at the Kingsborough Convention Center in Pampanga, with a new brand, “Beyond 1 Million Jobs: Create. Sustain. Transform.” which aims to surpass all the achievements in the previous year, in both quantity and quality.
Signatories on behalf of the National Employment Recovery Strategy Task Force were Secretaries Ramon Lopez of the Department of Trade and Industry; Silvestre Bello III of the Department of Labor and Employment; Isidro Lapena of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The private sector was represented by the heads of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, Philippine Constructors Association Inc.,Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc., the Semiconductor and Electronic Industries in the Philippines Inc. and two more groups, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Association of Legitimate Service Contractors.
In his speech, ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis said the goal of this partnership is not only to generate employment, but also to “push for an enabling policy environment where businesses could bounce back and flourish.”
Ortiz-Luis expressed confidence that while the future remains uncertain as the country will soon usher in a new administration that will have its own brand of governance and priorities, “ this partnership will be instrumental in ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the Filipino people regardless.”
The program will look into policies to ensure that the country is attractive to investments and the business environment is conducive to growth and expansion; strategies on how to help industries and enterprises sustain jobs, and; plans on how to ensure that employers, workers, and the government are able to adapt to the ever- changing world of work.
Last year, ECOP spearheaded the Reform. Rebound. Recover: 1 Million Jobs for 2021 program where over 600,000 jobs were provided by the end of 2021 and the goal of 1 million jobs was reached by the first quarter of this year in industries such as construction, hospitality, semiconductor and electronics, the micro, small and medium enterprises and the export sectors.
Ortiz-Luis said creating more quality employment will mean more income for the economy and pave the way for a better quality of life for the Filipino people.
Ortiz-Luis said ECOP is also continuing its work on skills development through various initiatives which include a partnership with TESDA to enhance employer participation in Technical Vocational Education and Training.
ECOP’s 43rd National Conference of Employers in July will revolve around employment generation, while ensuring the preservation and transformation of existing jobs through policy advocacy and capacity building on skills development, digitalization, inclusivity, and social dialogue.
