ON the heels of the signing of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TBP) Act, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) yesterday said an employment masterplan will only succeed if the incoming members of the labor force are well educated.
In a statement, FFW Vice President Jun Ramirez said the TBP law will not work if the incoming workers lack adequate education and learning.
Yesterday, President Marcos Jr. signed into law the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act.
The measure aims to establish the country’s employment master plan to address unemployment and underemployment.
“While we celebrate this milestone, we must also recognize that a crucial element of fostering gainful employment and a thriving workforce lies in education, particularly in higher education provided by State Universities and Colleges (SUCs),” said Ramirez.
“SUCs, vocational, technical, and engineering institutions have been instrumental in shaping the future of the Philippine labor force. They play an indispensable role in preparing our citizens for the challenges of the 4th Industrial Revolution,” he added.
The labor leader said this is why the FFW is calling on Congress to reevaluate and restore the budgetary allocations for SUCs, referring to the P6,155,499,000 decrease in the total budget of SUCs based on the 2024 National Expenditure Program.
“The recent P6.1B reduction in funding for these institutions does not align with the spirit and objectives of the TPB Act, which envisions the development of human resources in the digital age,” he said.
“It is imperative that our educational institutions are adequately funded to equip our youth with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a digital and rapidly changing world,” added Ramirez.
