2024 NAT'L EMPLOYMENT SUMMIT BEGINS FOR 10-YEAR EMPLOYMENT MASTERPLAN

THE Philippines began laying the groundwork for the 10-year national employment masterplan known as the "Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Plan" with the convergence of government agencies and labor partners at the opening of the National Employment Summit (NES) on June 26.

Held at the Manila Hotel, the NES was organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), in partnership with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Opening the first day were DoLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, co-chairman of the TPB-Inter-Agency Council; NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon, representing Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, chairman; and DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual, co-chairman, through a prerecorded message.

"We must deliberately aim for the creation of employment opportunities of better quality, that are sustainable and more remunerative, and that provide decent working conditions for all workers," Laguesma said.

Aside from the guiding principles of the TPB Plan, the summit also tackled the impact of global trends such as globalization, climate change, digitalization, and demographic shift on the labor and employment sector and how to address them.

Dr. Sangheon Lee, director of the ILO Geneva Employment Policy Department, tackled recent global employment trends and policy issues during the first plenary session of the summit. He also noted the need for structural transformation and inclusivity in creating policies to address employment challenges.

Gustavo González, the United Nations Resident Coordinator to the Philippines; Atty. Jose Sonny Matula and Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., representing the labor and employer sectors, respectively, in the formulation of the TPB rules and regulations; and TPB Act author Senator Joel Villanueva, also expressed commitment to support employment policy initiatives.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who signed Republic Act No. 11962 or the TPB Act to which the TPB plan is in accordance with, led the summit on June 27.

2024-06-29T16:11:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd