Vargas to push Jobs Next bill in Congress

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Councilor Patrick Michael Vargas has vowed to push for the passage of the Jobs Next bill in Congress if he wins as representative of the city’s fifth district.

Vargas is running under the Serbisyo sa Bayan party of reelectionist Mayor Joy Belmonte.

He said the bill seeks to provide better employment and skills training opportunities for Filipinos.

The measure, which was filed in the 18th Congress as House Bill 9782, was authored by his brother, incumbent Quezon City first district Rep. Alfred Vargas.

The bill is similar to Singapore’s Skills Future program, which aims to provide voucher program to capacitate Filipinos with new and emerging skills for future jobs.

Vargas said the measure seeks to encourage workers to stimulate innovation literacy as well as protect the labor force in jobs at high-risk of displacement due to technological and external disruptions.

“As the Philippines slowly pivots to recovery from the pandemic, the measures presents a window of opportunity to rethink how economies and businesses will adapt to the new normal,” he said.