Next admin to face digital revolutions with rise in e-commerce jobs - TESDAMAN

Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva said that the next administration should pay particular attention to growing the country's digital economy at this time that the economy is opening up as cases of COVID-19 decrease.

"All sectors of the economy are expecting to bounce back from the pandemic. While the next administration will have its hands full protecting broad sectors such as agriculture, it should also catch up with the fast-evolving digital economy," Villanueva said.

The senator made this statement as the Philippines received a positive business outlook from the Job Outlook Survey commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry. The benchmark survey reported that the Philippines has a high employment growth forecast of 86.7 percent for e-commerce jobs.

The Job Outlook Survey also reported that most companies in the country are hiring for positions that require digital skills, such as Digital Marketing Specialists, Social Media Specialists, Content Strategists, and Data Analysts.

"Digital skills can be developed through formal education, informal instruction, or training, which makes the digital workforce very dynamic in terms of learning and employment," Villanueva said.

The senator said that "the next administration would be dealing with the fourth, or even fifth, industrial revolution," as digital careers have gained even more strength during the pandemic.

"We are already playing catch up rather than staying ahead of the digital revolution. The Filipino workforce should benefit from the opportunities the digital economy provides, so the government should support them through skills training, digital upskilling, and making them competitive," he said.

Villanueva added that digital careers in the country continue to flourish as it allows for alternative working arrangements such as work from home, addressing concerns such as traffic congestion, rising oil prices, as well as the need for work-life balance.

At the same time, the senator warned that the 86.7 percent forecasted growth for e-commerce jobs could potentially widen the job-skills mismatch in the country if not quickly addressed by the government.

The chair of the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources said that he is hoping that the Senate Bill No. 1834, or the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, would be passed right after the May 9 elections. Villanueva sponsored and authored the said bill, and is currently on second reading at the Senate plenary.

S.B. 1834 seeks to ensure all Filipino workers have access to and provided with digital skills competencies at par with global standards, and encourage digital innovations and entrepreneurship.

The proposed law also empowers all local government units to create local policies supporting and promoting the growth and development of digital technology and digital careers in their respective communities.

Public-private partnerships with experts, information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry associations and other related industries are also empowered by the bill to pursue the formulation and implementation of training, skills development, and certification programs.

The senator added that the country's IT infrastructure and access to fast and reliable internet connection should be improved to support the rise of e-commerce and digital careers.

According to the 2021 Digital Skills Gap Index, the Philippines ranks 51st out of 134 countries in terms of digital skills, and 80th in digital competitiveness.

Digital revolutions, haharapin ng susunod na administrasyon dahil sa pag-unlad ng e-commerce - TESDAMAN

Nagbabala si Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva na kailangang pagtuunan ng pansin ng susunod na administrasyon ang digital economy ng bansa, lalo na sa pagbubukas muli ng ekonomiya bunsod ng bumababang kaso ng COVID-19.

"Gusto ng lahat ng sektor ng ekonomiya na makabawi mula sa pandemya. Habang pinoprotektahan ng susunod na administrasyon ang mga pangunahing sektor gaya ng agrikultura, dapat din nitong humabol sa mga fast-evolving sector na gaya ng e-commerce at mga digital jobs," sabi ni Villanueva.

Ito ang naging pahayag ng senador nang makatanggap ng positive business outlook ang Pilipinas mula sa Job Outlook Survey na kinomisyon ng Department of Trade and Industry. Iniulat ng benchmark survey na may high employment growth forecast na 86.7 percent ang Pilipinas para sa mga trabahong mula sa e-commerce.

Iniulat din ng Job Outlook Survey na karamihan sa mga kumpanya sa bansa ay may mga bukas na posisyon para sa trabahong nangangailangan ng digital skills, gaya ng Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Specialist, Content Strategist, at Data Analyst.

"Digital skills can be developed through formal education, informal instruction, or training, which makes the digital workforce very dynamic in terms of learning and employment," sabi ni Villanueva.

Sinabi ng senador na haharapin ng susunod na administrasyon ang "fourth, or even fifth, industrial revolution" dahil sa paglakas ng mga digital career sa panahon ng pandemya.

"Naghahabol na po tayo kaysa nangunguna sa digital revolution. Dapat makinabang ang mga Pilipinong manggagawa sa mga oportunidad mula sa digital economy, kaya dapat suportahan sila ng gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng skills training, digital upskilling, at gawin silang competitive," paliwanag ni Villanueva.

Ayon din sa senador, namamayagpag ang digital careers sa bansa dahil pinapahintulutan nito ang mga alternative working arrangements gaya ng work from home, na nakikita ring solusyon sa problema ng traffic, pagtaas ng presyo ng langis, pati na rin sa pagkakaroon ng work-life balance.

Nagbabala rin ang senador na maaring lumala pa ang job-skills mismatch sa bansa kung hindi matugunan ng gobyerno ang tinatayang 86.7 porsyentong pagtaas ng e-commerce jobs.

Sinabi ng chair ng Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources na umaasa siya maisasabatas matapos ang eleksyon nitong Mayo 9 ang Senate Bill No. 1834, o ang Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act. Si Villanueva ang sponsor at may akda ng panukalang batas na kasalukuyang nasa second reading sa plenaryo ng Senado.

Layon ng S.B. 1834 na mabigyan ang mga manggagawang Pilipino ng digital skills ayon sa global standards, at maghikayat ng digital innovations at entrepreneurship.

Pinapagtibay din ng panukalang batas ang lahat ng lokal na pamahalaan para gumawa ng kanilang mga polisiya na sumusuporta at nagsusulong sa digital technology at digital careers sa kani-kanilang komunidad.

Nagtatatag din ang Senate bill ng mga public-private partnerships kasama ng mga eksperto at mga asosasyon ng mga industriyang gaya ng information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) para sa promulasyon at implementasyon ng mga programa para sa training, skills development, at sertipikasyon.

Kailangan ding paunlarin ng bansa ang IT infrastructure at access sa mabilis na internet connection nito para masuportahan ang paglago ng e-commerce at digital careers, ayon kay Villanueva.

Ayon sa 2021 Digital Skills Gap Index, pang-51 ang Pilipinas sa 134 na bansa pagdating sa digital skills, at pang-80 sa digital competitiveness.