MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 20, 2008) - The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said Saturday it is backing the Bureau of Immigration's proposal to establish a new visa program that would allow qualified foreigners to stay indefinitely in the country, provided they invest here and fully employ at least 10 Filipinos.
"The plan jibes with our prior proposal for the government to lead in jobs creation, and for all agencies to consciously use their policies and programs to generate badly needed new employment," said Ernesto Herrera, TUCP secretary-general.
TUCP has been pushing for a national employment plan that would mandate every agency and state-owned firm to carry out more labor-intensive projects. To make sure these agencies do, Herrera said Congress should consider as factors for approving their annual budgets not only their performance, but also the number of jobs they were able to provide in the prior year.
The immigration office intends to adopt a new visa program wherein a foreigner who invests here and directly engages at least 10 Filipinos workers would be extended the privilege of an indefinite stay. The plan is awaiting approval by Malacañang, which is expected to issue an executive order on the guidelines, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said.
As proposed, the special non-immigrant visa may be issued to certain classes of aliens in viable and sustainable professional, micro-macro financing, entrepreneurial, corporate, banking, scientific, technological, industrial, telecommunications, teletranscriptions, eco-tourism, medico-pharmaceutical, herbal-therapeutic and commercial enterprises.
Herrera stressed that under the Constitution, the government is "duty-bound to promote full employment to ensure a rising standard of living for all Filipinos."
"The government should ensure maximum jobs creation in every public project. Each agency should be compelled to set achievable employment targets. Then an inter-agency panel should monitor performance in terms of jobs creation," Herrera said.
As to the private sector, Herrera said loan applications with government financial institutions as well as petitions for tax incentives with the Board of Investments should be approved based on the number of jobs the projects to be funded or new ventures would create.
He said government should focus on infrastructure projects that have the highest job-creation potential and generate the greatest returns. He said these projects, such as farm-to-market roads, irrigation facilities, mass transit systems and schools, are also urgently needed.
Whether such projects involve new construction or maintenance, Herrera said they provide direct employment, help lower cost of production and consequently, also lower the prices of goods.
In a country with high rates of joblessness and underemployment, capital-intensive methods of production are highly questionable, according to Herrera, also former chairman of the Senate labor, employment and human resources development committee.
"Jobs provide people with incomes that enable them to buy goods and services or to save. The increase in consumption stimulates the market, revives the economy and provides revenue for government. And the accumulation of savings provides funds for investment," Herrera added.
Earlier this week, the National Statistics Office reported that the country's unemployment rate stood at 7.4 percent as of July 2008, with a total of 2.75 million Filipinos considered totally jobless. The percentage of underemployed Filipinos, or those who have jobs but want to work more, increased to 21 percent of total employed, it said.
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