Villanueva: Create 'stable, dependable' jobs under NERS

Senator Joel Villanueva highlighted the importance of creating regular, sustainable jobs under the government's National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS), saying that data presented by the labor department on Monday only scratched the surface of the massive unemployment triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While 780,119 jobs were created from the NERS Action Agenda as reported by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Villanueva pointed out that three of the seven programs cited in the report merely generated short-term employment.

"Upon closer inspection of the report, the programs included the Government Internship Program (GIP), the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), and Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD). These are merely short-term employment, and not really new regular employment opportunities," said Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, at the DOLE budget briefing on Monday.

"Kaya po matagal na natin hinihiling na gumawa ng scorecard ng trabahong nalilikha sa ilalim ng NERS. Gumawa po tayo ng talaan kung anong manggagawa ang kailangan ng industriya, at nasaan ang mga ito. We've sought clarification from DOLE to specify how many jobs were actually created under NERS since June this year," explained Villanueva.

"Our displaced and disadvantaged workers need emergency employment. However, what they need and desire is stable and dependable regular employment," continued the lawmaker, who is set to sponsor the labor department's budget proposal in plenary as vice chair of the Senate finance committee.

Villanueva explained that the GIP, SPES, and TUPAD programs only served as temporary employment opportunities for beneficiaries.

GIP is a three-to-six month internship program open for high school, tech-voc or college students who intend to pursue a career in government, according to the DOLE website.

On the other hand, SPES is "DOLE's youth employment-bridging program which aims to provide temporary employment to poor but deserving students, out-of-school youth, and dependents of displaced or would-be displaced workers ... to augment the family's income to help ensure that beneficiaries are able to pursue their education."

TUPAD is the government's emergency employment program "for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed," according to the DOLE website.

Villanueva pressed the department to account for the jobs created under NERS so that efforts to spur employment are monitored closely.

"I know that NERS is an inter-agency or whole of government initiative but let us reach for our targets, specifically for DOLE. Ilan po ba ang malilikhang mga bagong trabaho ng ahensya? Ilan po kada industriya? Ilan po kada rehiyon? Ilan po kada probinsya?" Villanueva said. "Kwentas klaras po sana para hindi "false hope" ang maiparating natin sa ating mga kababayan."

"It is important to emphasize the crucial role of our offices not only in employment recovery but in job creation. Hindi lang po pagsalba ng trabaho, hindi lang po panandaliang trabaho, kundi paglikha po ng matatag at pangmatagalang trabaho ang trabaho natin," Villanueva said.

Unemployment in August reached 8.1 percent or about 3.88 million, while underemployment is 14.7 percent or around 6.48 million.

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Villanueva: Trabahong 'stable, dependable' ang dapat malikha sa NERS

Iginiit ni Senator Joel Villanueva ang kahalagahan ng paglikha ng regular at sustainable na mga trabaho sa ilalim ng National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) ng gobyerno, kung saan ipinakita ng Department of Labor and Employment sa kanilang datos na bahagya lamang natugunan nito ang malawakang kawalan ng trabaho bunsod ng COVID-19 pandemic.

Bagama't may nalikhang 780,119 na trabaho mula sa NERS Action Agenda na inilahad ng DOLE kamakailan, ipinunto ni Villanueva na tatlo sa pitong programang nabanggit sa ulat ay lumiklha lamang ng short-term employment.

"Upon closer inspection of the report, the programs included the Government Internship Program (GIP), the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), and Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD). These are merely short-term employment, and not really new regular employment opportunities," ani Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, sa budget briefing ng DOLE noong Lunes ng umaga.

"Kaya po matagal na natin hinihiling na gumawa ng scorecard ng trabahong nalilikha sa ilalim ng NERS. Gumawa po tayo ng talaan kung anong manggagawa ang kailangan ng industriya, at nasaan ang mga ito. We've sought clarification from DOLE to specify how many jobs were actually created under NERS since June this year," palinawag pa ni Villanueva.

"Hindi lang po pagsalba ng trabaho, hindi lang po panandaliang trabaho, kundi paglikha po ng matatag at pangmatagalang trabaho ang trabaho natin," ayon sa mambabatas na nakatakdang iprisinta sa plenaryo ng Senado ang budget ng DOLE bilang vice chairman ng Senate finance committee.

Paliwanag pa ni Villanueva na ang GIP, SPES at TUPAD ay nagsisilbing pansamantalang employment para sa mga benepisyaryo.

Ayon sa website ng DOLE, ang GIP ay ang tatlo hanggang anim na buwang internship na bukas sa mga high school, tech-voc o college students na nais magtrabaho sa gobyerno.

Ang SPES naman ay ang youth-employment bridging program na nagbibigay ng pansamantalang empleyo sa mga mag-aaral para makatulong sa kani-kanilang mga pamilya.

Ang TUPAD naman po ay ang emergency employment program ng gobyerno para sa mga manggagawang nawalan ng trabaho. Tatagal ang trabaho sa loob ng 10 na araw o hanggang 30 na araw, depende sa ipinatutupad na program, ayon sa DOLE website.

Muling iminungkahi ni Villanueva sa DOLE na gumawa ng talaan ng mga trabaho nalikha sa ilalim ng NERS upang madaling ma-monitor ang progreso ng mga programa.

"I know that NERS is an inter-agency or whole of government initiative but let us reach for our targets, specifically for DOLE. Ilan po ba ang malilikhang mga bagong trabaho ng ahensya? Ilan po kada industriya? Ilan po kada rehiyon? Ilan po kada probinsya?" Villanueva said. "Kwentas klaras po sana para hindi "false hope" ang maiparating natin sa ating mga kababayan."

Umabot sa 8.1 percent o tinatayang 3.88 milyon ang unemployed noong Agosyo, habang 14.7 percent o tinatayang 6.48 milyon ang underemployed.