Campaign promise fulfilled! Villanueva's Trabaho Para sa Bayan bill signed into law

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva lauded the signing of Republic Act No. 11962 also known as the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, which will be the cornerstone of government initiatives in providing job opportunities for Filipinos and address variabilities in the country's labor market.

The new law, which Villanueva principally sponsored and authored, aims to instutionalize a National Employment Master Plan to promote job-led economic growth and enhanced industry collaboration, provide overall services for worker development, and push for support and incentives to businesses.

"Nagpapasalamat po tayo kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa kanyang tiwala at suporta na pangunahan natin ang pagsulong sa napakahalagang batas na ito na siyang susi sa pagtugon sa iba't ibang hamon sa paggawa at paglikha ng trabaho sa bansa," he said.

Villanueva pushed for sustaining the momentum from the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS), including the promotion of efforts to continue the collaboration between government and the private sector to create quality jobs and work opportunities.

"Hindi lamang po ito katuparan ng ating pangako noong kampanya, katuparan din ng pangarap ng ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng maayos na trabaho at disenteng pamumuhay," Villanueva added.

Under the law, the government shall establish a national employment generation and recovery master plan with a three, six and 10-year development timeline.

The master plan includes initiatives for supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, worker upskilling, employer incentives, youth employment, as well as for the reintegration of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), among others.

The Trabaho Para sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council will be constituted to monitor, review and evaluate the implementation of the components of the plan. The council will be composed of the heads of the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Department of the Interior and Local Government; and representatives from employers' organizations, labor groups, marginalized sector and the informal sector.

Villanueva said the passage of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan law is also a fulfilment of the Philippines' commitment to the International Labor Organization (ILO) No. 122, or the Employment Policy Convention, which calls for an active employment policy to be pursued as a major goal of macroeconomic policy.

The Philippines in 1976 ratified ILO Convention No. 122, which states that "each member state shall pursue, as a major goal, an active policy designed to promote "full, productive and freely chosen employment."

Villanueva said he hopes the law will be given the needed funding and resources so that Filipinos would feel its benefits.

"Sa kabila po ng sinasabing bumubuting ekonomiya, marami pa rin ang napag-iiwanan sa kawalan ng trabaho at kahirapan. Naniniwala po tayo na magiging sagot ang batas na ito para masiguro ang masayang pagbabago para sa bawat Pilipino," Villanueva said.

Trabaho Para sa Bayan bill ni Villanueva batas na!

Ikinalugod ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva ang paglagda ng Republic Act No. 11962 o Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act na magiging cornerstone ng mga inisyatibo ng gobyerno sa paglikha ng trabaho at oportunidad para sa mga Filipino at pagtugon sa mga isyu ng labor market sa bansa.

Layunin ng bagong batas, na iniakda at inisponsoran ni Villanueva, na lumikha ng National Employment Master Plan na magsusulong ng "job-led economic growth and enhanced industry collaboration," magpapatibay ng worker development at maglalaan ng suporta at insentibo sa mga negosyo.

"Nagpapasalamat po tayo kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa kanyang tiwala at suporta na pangunahan natin ang pagsulong sa napakahalagang batas na ito na siyang susi sa pagtugon sa iba't ibang hamon sa paggawa at paglikha ng trabaho sa bansa," sabi ni Villanueva.

Isinusulong ni Villanueva ang pagpapalakas ng momentum mula sa National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS), kabilang na ang patuloy na pagtutulungan ng gobyerno at pribadong sektor upang makalikha ng dekalidad na trabaho at oportunidad para sa mga Filipino.

"Hindi lamang po ito katuparan ng ating pangako noong kampanya, katuparan din ng pangarap ng ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng maayos na trabaho at disenteng pamumuhay," dagdag ni Villanueva.

Sa ilalim ng batas, ang pamahalaan ay magtatatag ng isang national employment generation at recovery master plan na may tatlo, anim at sampung taon na development timeline.

Kabilang sa master plan ang mga inisyatibo para sa pagsuporta sa small and medium enterprises, worker upskilling, employer incentives, youth employment, reintegration ng Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), at iba pa. Ang Trabaho Para sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council ang tututok at susuri sa pagpapatupad ng master plan.

Ang Council ay binubuo ng mga pinuno ng National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Department of the Interior and Local Government, at mga kinatawan mula sa employers' organizations, labor groups, marginalized sector, at informal sector.

Ayon pa kay Villanueva, ang pagpasa ng Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act ay isa ring katuparan ng pangako ng Pilipinas sa ilalim ng International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 122, o Employment Policy Convention, na nagsusulong na magkaroon ng active employment policy na siyang isa sa magiging pangunahing layunin ng macroeconomic policy.

Niratipikahan ng Pilipinas noong 1976 ang ILO Convention No. 122 na nagsasaad na "each member state shall pursue, as a major goal, an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment."

Umaasa si Villanueva na mabibigyan ng sapat na pondo ang batas nang sa gayon ay maramdaman ng mga Pilipino ang benepisyong dulot nito.

"Sa kabila po ng sinasabing bumubuting ekonomiya, marami pa rin ang napag-iiwanan sa kawalan ng trabaho at kahirapan. Naniniwala po tayo na magiging sagot ang batas na ito para masiguro ang masayang pagbabago para sa bawat Pilipino," saad pa ni Villanueva.