Senator Pushes AI-Ready Employment Plan for Filipinos

Senator Joel Villanueva has called for a national employment plan that is prepared for the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI). His push comes as the World Bank reports a significant decline in the proportion of high-skilled workers in the services sector, shrinking from 20% to just 6% due to the rapid adoption of Generative AI (GenAI).

“Our employment plan needs to be AI-ready in all aspects because the jobs and livelihoods of our kababayans are on the line,” Villanueva said.

The World Bank identified finance and insurance as among the most vulnerable sectors to AI disruptions, followed by management, enterprise operations, and information-based industries.

As the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11962, or the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Act, Villanueva emphasized that the government must act decisively to align employment strategies with technological advancements. He has proposed amendments to the 2025 General Appropriations Bill to secure funding for the TPB plan’s development and for creating micro-credentials aimed at upskilling workers.

Villanueva, who also serves as the Senior Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, advocated for a specialized technical working group under the TPB’s Inter-Agency Council. This group would be responsible for crafting innovative policies and programs to keep the Philippine workforce competitive in an AI-dominated global market.

“The Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act is the platform we have created for the government to rationalize investment incentives for job generation, and it follows that the government agencies involved should come up with proactive strategies to ensure that Filipino workers are not left behind or at the tail end in the constantly evolving labor market,” he stated.

Villanueva’s vision includes assessment tools for micro-credentials and stackable qualifications, which are essential for adapting to AI and emerging technologies. Micro-credentials, recognized as short and competency-based certifications, are becoming a vital part of higher and continuing education as they allow individuals to showcase mastery in specific skills.

“We’ve long been vocal about the need to equip our labor force with the right skills. AI is here to stay, and some jobs may be lost, but new ones are created as well requiring new skills set or competencies,” Villanueva said, recalling his role in sponsoring Republic Act No. 11230, known as the Tulong Trabaho Act.

The senator highlighted that AI’s transformative potential brings both challenges and new economic opportunities. “AI presents new economic opportunities, new ways of doing things, and may revolutionize work as we know it. To prevent job displacements, the Filipino workforce must be empowered with the skills for the future,” he concluded.

Villanueva’s push for an AI-ready employment strategy underscores the urgent need for government, educational institutions, and the private sector to collaborate in equipping workers for an evolving job landscape shaped by technological progress.