Senatorial candidate Pia S. Cayetano is proposing to create a national database of all available and in-demand domestic job opportunities for Filipino workers, in an effort to address the persisting job-skills mismatch in several industries.
In a radio interview in Cebu City on Thursday, the congresswoman stressed that there is now an abundance of opportunities for Filipino skilled workers, owing to the country’s booming construction industry.
In particular, she cited the Duterte administration’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program that seeks to accelerate public infrastructure spending. Projected to reach P8 to 9 trillion between 2017 and 2022, this massive infrastructure program has opened over 25,000 job positions for Filipinos.
“Public spending on construction, whether by local government units or the national government, is on the rise all over the country. The private sector has also been investing and contributing,” Cayetano said.
Despite such opportunities, she noted that many Filipinos still find it hard to get employed because they do not possess the skills required for the job openings.
“This is why we need to ensure that our skilled workers are really the best,” Cayetano said. “We have to put up a database of all actual and projected job opportunities so we will know which industries will be in demand in the next few years. That way, we can also prepare our students and workers better for these jobs,” she added.
The senatorial candidate said she plans to discuss the issue with barangay officials throughout the country, so she could get the necessary information directly from the ground.
Cayetano was in Cebu City to attend the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (LNB) 3rd Visayas Barangay Congress at the International Eucharist Center. #
Leave a Reply