Empower LGUs for national employment recovery - TESDAMAN

Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva called for the institutionalization and localized employment structures in the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS), and said that the strategy should be strengthened through local government unit (LGU) participation.

"The NERS should be sustained beyond its deadline this year and provide guidance particular to the needs of every LGU. Each LGU should have a say on how it will participate in employment recovery so that we can say it is truly national in scope," he said.

Based on Executive Order No. 140, series of 2021, the NERS is a medium-term employment recovery strategy anchored on the updated Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and ReCharge PH, which takes into consideration "the changes in the labor market brought by the pandemic and the fast adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies".

The Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources said that LGUs should be empowered under an institutionalized NERS, which is part of the senator's campaign platform of income security and employment empowerment.

"While we need a consistent policy for emergency job generation, each local government unit has their own specific supply and demand from the job market, with each having their own experience in the pandemic. LGU participation in national employment recovery is a no-brainer," he said.

Villanueva made this remark after his visit in Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, and Zamboanga del Norte as part of his reelection campaign for a second Senate term.

The senator also previously called for a standardized scorecard to keep track of the NERS implementation, and sees localized data as a crucial metric for the program's success.

"Localized data makes sure that we are not leaving anyone behind in nationwide job recovery. Walang lugar dapat sa Pilipinas ang walang trabaho. Walang tayong iwanan sa pag-unlad ng bayan," he said.

With the number of unemployed Filipinos in the country rising to 3.27 million (6.6%) as of last December, Villanueva believes that a local structure for the NERS should contribute to a better distribution of employment opportunities across regions, and ease the population rise in urbanized areas.

The senator also said that a coordinated local employment strategy should also minimize the need for both international and local migration for job employment, and corresponding urban explosion problems such as congestion and skyrocketing cost of living.

"Dapat ipursigi na rin natin na hindi na kailangang lumipat pa ng ibang probinsya o ibang bansa para lang makapagtrabaho, lalo't umaahon na tayo mula sa pandemya. Dapat may trabahong para sa iyo saan ka man naroroon", he said.

Palakasin ang mga LGU para sa national employment recovery - TESDAMAN

Isinulong ni Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva ang institusyonalisasyon at pagtatag ng mga localized employment structures sa ilalim ng National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS), at palakasin ito sa pamamagitan ng partisipasyon ng mga local government units (LGU).

"Palawigin pa natin ang NERS mahigit pa sa deadline nito ngayong taon para matugunan ang pangangailangan ng bawat LGU. Dapat may say ang bawat LGU kung paano ito makaka-ambag sa national employment recovery," sabi ng senador.

Base sa Executive Order No. 140, series of 2021, ang NERS ay ang medium-term employment recovery strategy na naka-angkla sa Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 at ReCharge PH. Kinokonsidera nito ang mga pagbabago sa merkado ng trabaho bunsod ng pandemya, at pamamayagpag ng mga teknolohiya sa ilalim ng Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Sinabi ng chair ng Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources na dapat palakasin ang papel ng mga LGU sa isang institutionalized na NERS. Bahagi ito ng plataporma ng reeleksyonistang senador para sa oportunidad at seguridad sa trabaho.

"Habang kailangan natin ng tiyak na polisiya para sa emergency job generation, may kanya-kanyang supply and demand sa merkado ng trabaho, at karanasan sa pandemya ang bawat LGU. No-brainer po na dapat may partisipasyon ang LGUs sa national employment recovery. Automatic dapat yan," sabi ng senador.

Ito ang mga naging pahayag ni Villanueva matapos bumisita sa Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, at Zamboanga del Norte at mangapanya para sa kanyang pangalawang termino bilang senador.

Dati nang panawagan ng senador na magkaroon ng standardized scorecard para bantayan ang implementasyon ng NERS, at nakikita niya kahalagahan ng lokal na datos para sa tagumpay ng programa.

"Localized data makes sure that we are not leaving anyone behind in nationwide job recovery. Walang lugar dapat sa Pilipinas ang walang trabaho. Walang tayong iwanan sa pag-unlad ng bayan," sabi niya.

Dahil sa pagtaas sa 3.27 milyon ang bilang ng mga Pilipinong trabaho sa bansa noong Disyembre (6.6% unemployment rate), naniniwala si Villanueva na sa pagkakaroon ng mga local structure ng NERS, mabibigyang pansin ang pagbibigay ng trabaho sa mga rehiyon at maiibsan ang pagtaas ng populasyon sa mga urban areas.

Sinabi rin ng senador na sa pamamagitan ng magkakaugnay na local employment strategy, mababawasan ang pangingibang-bayan (international or local migration) para magtrabaho. Maiibsan din daw nito ang mga problemang dulot ng urban explosion gaya ng urban congestion at pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin.

"Dapat ipursigi na rin natin na hindi na kailangang lumipat pa ng ibang probinsya o ibang bansa para lang makapagtrabaho, lalo't umaahon na tayo mula sa pandemya. Dapat may trabahong para sa iyo saan ka man naroroon", sabi ni Villanueva.