ni Mario Casayuran
NANAWAGAN si House Deputy Speaker Legarda nitong Sabado para sa patuloy na pagsisikap upang matugunan ang problema sa kawalan ng trabaho at pagsusulong ng sustainable development sa bansa, kasunod ng naging ulat kamakailan ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) na nagsasabing 3.8 milyong Pilipino ang walang trabaho hanggang noong Oktubre 2020.
Magamat nagpakita ito ng malaking pagbabago sa unemployment rate ng bansa mula sa record high na 7.3 milyong Pilipinong walang trabaho noong Abril 2020, sinabi ni Legarda ang paghahanda para sa matatag na employment alternatives ay makatutulong ng malaki sa probisyon ng trabaho at makatutulong na matugunan ang lumalaganap na problema ng kawalan ng trabaho sa banda dulot ng pandemya at mga kalamidad.
“It is a relief that our workforce is slowly recovering as the economy reopened even as community quarantines and lockdowns continue to be imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 virus. However, 3.8 million unemployed Filipinos is still a big number and the fact remains that the crisis of unemployment is one of the major problems that need to be addressed urgently. We have to strengthen efforts in generating more jobs for our growing population,” paliwanag ng dating senador.
Upang matugunan ito, nanawagan din ang Antique congresswoman para sa pagpapalakas ng promosyon at mas maayos na implementasyon ng Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Law (RA 9501) at Barangay Kabuhayan Law (RA 9509).
“It is important that stronger efforts are exerted in strengthening employment creation, facilitation, and enhancement. MSME programs are viable platforms for generating employment opportunities and better incomes to spur economic growth particularly at the grassroots level. On the other hand, the Barangay Kabuhayan Law empowers micro entrepreneurs through free skills training in order to expand their capacities to be more productive,” ani Legarda.
Binigyang-diin din ng mambabatas ang pangangailangan na mailatag ang “sustainable development at promotion of green jobs” sa pagsisikap na mapaganda ang employment statistics sa bansa
“Gearing towards sustainable development and promotion of green jobs and just transition will help our government sustain the country’s socio-economic gains while promoting climate change adaptation efforts. For instance, renewable energy projects, management in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, environmental information technology can generate jobs and provide livelihood opportunities to poor communities while making good use of recyclable waste materials, which would also help solve our waste management problem,” aniya.
“We have to continuously empower our workforce to address unemployment. They too have families to feed and stomachs to fill. These pandemic and natural disasters have tested our growth as a nation. We need to recover and rebuild lives of our people by consistently looking for opportunities for progress to ensure that development is equitable and inclusive,”dagdag pa ng Kongresista.