PH gov’t launches 10-year employment strategy

The Philippine government has introduced the comprehensive 10-Year Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Master Plan aimed at sustained, high-quality job creation.

The initiative was unveiled during the National Employment Summit held at the Manila Hotel on June 26-27, 2024.

The Interagency Committee for Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB-IAC) presented the Plan, focusing on several key areas:

– Prioritizing the creation of quality and decent jobs.

– Developing robust employment policies with effective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms.

– Advocating for equal employment opportunities across all demographics.

– Promoting skills development and training.

– Collaborating with formal and informal institutions, as well as national and local government bodies, and workers’ and employers’ organizations.

– Addressing future work challenges.

– Ensuring comprehensive worker protection and recognizing the rights of both workers and enterprises.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan emphasized the importance of a unified approach to employment generation to drive social and economic transformation.

“This stance will help us prepare a more resilient workforce and enable us to design appropriate policies to support employers, employees, the vulnerable sector, and the informal sector,” Balisacan said, with his message delivered by NEDA Policy and Planning Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon.

During the second day of the summit, NEDA Secretary Balisacan, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, and Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual presented President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. with the Employment Covenant document.

The document aligns with the Philippine Development Plan, the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan, the Strategic Investment Priority Plan, and the Workforce Development Plan, aiming to create at least three million new jobs by 2028.

President Marcos highlighted, “The TPB Plan will be one of the driving forces to help create at least three million new jobs by the year 2028. The Covenant and the TPB Plan will ensure an inter-agency and multipartite approach to achieving our objectives for productive, remunerative, and decent employment generation.”

The TPB Act or Republic Act No. 11962, signed by President Marcos on September 27, 2023, mandates the creation of a master plan for national employment generation.

The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the TPB Act were published on June 24, 2024, and will take effect on July 9, 2024.

The TPB-IAC will spearhead the development of the master plan in collaboration with other government agencies and stakeholders.

Regional consultations for the TPB Plan are scheduled from July to September, with drafting expected from September to October and finalization by November.