Unemployment in the Philippines

Sen. Bam to gov’t: Protect Filipinos from killer combo of rising prices and unemployment

Senator Bam Aquino called the increase in prices of goods and the rising unemployment a killer combo that needs to be addressed immediately.

“Huwag natin i-knockout ang pamilyang Pilipino sa combo na pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin at kawalan ng trabaho,” said Sen. Bam, one of only four senators who voted against the ratification of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act.

A recent Pulse Asia survey indicated that 98 percent of respondents claimed the prices of basic goods they usually purchase have increased due to the tax reform law, and around 86 percent said they were strongly affected by the prices increases.

In addition, a latest survey by SWS showed that the number of unemployment Filipinos rose to 10.9 million, the highest since 2016.

“Hindi na biro ang epekto ng TRAIN sa mga Pilipino, kaya tayo tumutol dito. Ngayon na mas malala pa pala ang kinalabasan nito, dapat lang na pag-aralan at solusyunan ang matinding pagtaas ng presyo,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam said he will present stories of Filipinos affected by the TRAIN Act from the series of community dialogues that he conducted in different parts of the country when the Senate conducts a hearing on the tax reform program on May 9 (Wednesday).

“Mahalagang mailabas natin ang bigat na ibinibigay ng TRAIN upang ito’y marepaso at nang maibsan ang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam also urged Congress not to move forward with TRAIN 2, as it may exacerbate the problem of unemployment by removing incentives for certain businesses.

 Sen. Bam has filed Proposed Senate (PS) Resolution No. 704, calling for a review of the TRAIN Act, claiming it greatly contributes to the increase in prices of goods and services that burdens Filipinos, mostly the poor.

Bam to solve jobs mismatch through Trabaho Centers in schools

Sen. Bam Aquino wants to solve the jobs mismatch problem in the country by establishing strategic employment centers in our senior high schools and ensuring SUCs offer courses that cater to the needs of their local industries.

​“To address the jobs mismatch, we need to​ ​bridge the gap between the private sector and schools ​so we can make sure graduates are well suited for job openings in the area,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress.

​Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 170 or the Trabaho Center in Schools Act will help ensure that Senior High School graduates under the K to 12 program have the appropriate knowledge, values, and skills to address the needs of the job market

​According to Sen. Bam, the Trabaho Center will focus on three main things – career counseling services, employment facilitation and industry matching.

​Sen. Bam also enjoined SUCs to reassess the courses they are offering to match the needs of the region’s private sector, thus increasing chances that college graduates will be employed in their locality.

​​In a 2014 study, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) revealed that job skills mismatch is a major cause of youth unemployment, which stands at 15.7 percent.

 ​The number of jobless youth, aging from 15 to 24, accounts for 49.8 percent of all unemployed in the Philippines.

​”Siguraduhin natin na hindi masasayang ang pagod ng ating mga guro, estudyante, at pati ng kanilang magulang. Pagtapos ng senior high school o ng kolehiyo ay dapat may angkop na trabahong naghihintay para sa mga graduates,” Sen. Bam said.

Youth Entrepreneurship to Address Youth Unemployment

With the graduation season fast approaching, excitement builds up as students prepare themselves for the next phase of their young lives – the professional life.

 

After graduation, they will be scouring newspaper advertisements, join job fairs, sign up on online job websites, visit companies and inquire about possible employment vacancies.

 

A number of these graduates will find jobs in the Philippines; a number will find jobs abroad. Some will work in a formal company; others will be working more informally.  And unfortunately, some will join the ranks of the unemployed.

 

For the Filipino youth, especially those in the last unfortunate set, they have to have better choices. What if rather than just working as an employee, you could become your own boss and run your own enterprise?

 

In the Senate, I have the Youth Entrepreneurship Bill, which aims to expose our Filipino youth to entrepreneurship at a young age and give them a good foundation for business creation in the future.

 

If enacted into law, course programs in entrepreneurship will be developed for primary, secondary and post-secondary schools to give them knowledge how to start and run their own businesses.

 

Moreover, the bill aims to create a fund and support structures to aid starting entrepreneurs in their product development, access to capital, training and other services, to help them establish their own enterprises.

 

The Youth Entrepreneurship Bill was passed on third reading in the Senate and was passed on second reading in the House of Congress recently.

 

I hope that this bill will be enacted into law soon to assist our fresh graduates and young Filipinos.

 

This bill hopes to also address the growing unemployment rate in the country.

The government’s push for inclusive growth will not take off unless the problems of youth unemployment and underemployment are not immediately addressed.

 

The challenge is make our current economic growth felt by every Filipino through generation of jobs and creation of livelihood. And youth entrepreneurship is one of the keys for our Filipino youth to experience this growth for themselves and for their families.

 

First Published On: Youth Enterprising Blog

 

 

Sen. Bam: Youth Unemployment a Growing Epidemic

With an estimated 700,000 fresh graduates joining the ranks of the unemployed, the number of jobless youth ranging from 15 to 24 years old in the country will breach the two million mark

Senator Bam Aquino believes that there will be no end in sight to this alarming trend unless the government launches a massive and serious campaign to address the problem.

“While we commend the government’s efforts to solve the rising number of unemployed youth in the country, it is not enough because, like an epidemic, the number keeps growing and growing every year,” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth.

At present, Aquino said the number of unemployed youth accounts for half of the country’s 2.9 million jobless workers.

If the definition of youth under Republic Act 8044 is to be followed, the present number of jobless individuals ranging from 15 to 30 years old increased to 2.13 million.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported that there are 3.8 million job vacancies waiting to be filled, especially in industries such as services, construction, tourism, and information, technology and communications, and the business process outsourcing (BPO).

“However, many of these vacancies remain as such because of other factors such as the prevalent job and skills mismatch,” said Aquino, adding that 35.8 percent of the time, applicants are rejected due to lack of competency or skill.

Aquino said the government should take steps to address job mismatch, which stems from lack of proper education and training of applicants for a particular line of work.

“Usually, job mismatch happens when an applicant cannot comply with the technical skills needed for a position,” Aquino said.

Aside from addressing job mismatch, Aquino encouraged the government to come up with programs that will help the youth turn into entrepreneurs.

The Senate has been tackling several bills on youth entrepreneurship to help address the problem of unemployed youth.

“With the slow pace of the country’s legislative mill, it will take months or years before these measures are enacted into law. That’s why the government needs to take the initiative and start these programs right away,” Aquino said.

Aquino believes that the government’s push for inclusive growth will not take off unless the problems of youth unemployment and underemployment are not immediately addressed.

The senator believes that would-be youth entrepreneurs should be given access to financing, training, market linkages, and other means of support that will help them run and develop their own businesses.

Photo source: studentthinktank.eu 

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