Palace vows to create more jobs

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang gave assurance yesterday that it would continue to pursue initiatives to provide employment for Filipinos and improve their lives.

While the number of employed Filipinos increasing by over one million to 37.5 million in January 2015 from 36.4 million in 2014, the report made by the National Economic and Development Authority said fresh graduates would add to the number of people looking for employment.

Figures for unemployment and underemployment all improved during the period, based on the January 2015 Labor Force Survey (LFS) results.

A report by the Philippine Statistics Authority also indicated that the country’s unemployment as well as its underemployment rate had gone down. But it also reported that there were 2.6 million Filipinos who remained jobless.

To address this concern, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said among the main efforts of government is coordination among government agencies involved in providing employment.

These agencies are the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, Commission on Higher Education and Department of Education.

“They are the ones tasked to push for convergence that the President always reminds them about,” Valte said.

Another government effort is the continued attraction of new investments, Valte said, noting the country’s foreign direct investments increased last year.

The Philippines more than doubled its foreign direct investments in the last two or three years, according to Valte.

Those who have existing operations in the Philippines are also expanding, she said.

Valte said the Aquino administration has been trying to level the playing field so everyone would have the chance to grow their businesses and, in turn, create more jobs for the people.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said earlier the increase in employment was almost four times the 281,000 jobs created during the January 2013 to 2014 period, which posted an annual growth of 0.8 percent.

According to the January 2015 survey, employment grew across all classes of workers, except those in family-operated businesses. The survey also indicated the country’s year-on-year underemployment rate went down to 17.5 percent from 19.5 percent in January 2014.

These figures do not include data from Region 8. This is because survey results needed to be comparable to that of the previous period ending in January 2014.

According to the PSA, no survey was conducted in the area last year due to the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda, Lacierda said.

“Since 2010, driven by our belief in good governance as good economics, the Aquino administration has continued to enact widespread reforms, which have increased public trust in government and spurred economic growth. This has led to a surge in investor interest in the country, beginning a virtuous cycle of empowerment and inclusive growth. The new opportunities generated by these investments have resulted in not just more jobs but also more meaningful livelihoods for our citizens, as indicated by the lower underemployment rate,” Lacierda said.

Amid concerns about increased global volatility and slower growth, the Philippines had continued to buck the trend and surpass expectations, he said.

“Rest assured that the Aquino administration remains committed to pursuing even more growth for the country and to making sure that this translates to real benefits for the Filipino people. Moving forward, let us collectively work toward further entrenching our good governance reforms and making permanent the gains we have achieved,” Lacierda said.