Congress-Executive action needed to address unemployment crisis in RP

MANILA, Philippines - Concerned with reports of massive lay-offs in the United States and other known destinations of Filipino overseas contract workers, Speaker Prospero Nograles said Congress and the Executive should immediately work out a formula that would address the possible escalation of the country's unemployment problem into crisis proportion.

Nograles also proposed that President Arroyo's economic team should immediately meet anew with the House economic team and a counterpart team from the Senate the soonest possible opportunity to re-map a common economic legislative agenda that would already factor in the projected effects of the US recession and the financial turbulence now being experienced by countries in Europe and elsewhere.

"Reports on OFWs losing their jobs because of the creeping global recession is a serious concern," Nograles said, adding that government should come up with policies and programs "anchored on real facts and figures."

Nograles raised the need for the creation of an accurate and comprehensive central database of Filipino workers here and abroad who have lost their jobs as an aftermath of the global financial crisis.

"We have to face this problem now and provide every available assistance, including job placements, for Filipinos who have lost their jobs due to the global economic crunch. Our unemployment problem might grow into crisis proportion if we do not act the soonest possible time," he said.

"Those who are losing their jobs because of the financial crisis have proven their worth as productive Filipinos. They have shown their willingness to sacrifice and toil with their hands just to help not only their families but the country as well. The government should ensure that they remain as productive members of our society," Nograles said.

He said he will mobilize the House economic team which would coordinate with the the various government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment, National Statistics Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs for the collection and collation of updated and accurate facts and figures that would form part of a central database and monitoring mechanism on Filipinos who lost their jobs due to the global financial turmoil.

Nograles lamented that up to this time, there is no real unemployment database except general facts and figures which does not even jibe with the information coming from non-government organizations.

Nograles said that with the advent of advance computing technology, it is no longer impossible for the government to get specific names, employment history and the field of specialization of unemployed Filipinos. A menu of possible government assistance can even be automatically generated through the aid of computing technology.

"These are important facts which can help us determining what kind of assistance that they need. If they have entrepreneurial skills, maybe we can refer them to the Department of Trade and Industry for assistance in putting up their own business or we can give them re-employment priority for available job opportunities in countries which continue to have a demand for overseas contract workers," Nograles said adding that the government should harness the full potential of technology in formulating its action plan to prevent a full-blown unemployment crisis.

"These people are those who are willing to help themselves instead of just waiting for manna from heaven. We should help them so that they can continue contributing for our nation's economy," he said.

Two months ago, the Speaker has initiated a coordination meeting between the House economic group and that of the President's economic team composed of representatives from the Departments of Finance, Trade and Industry, the National Economic and Development Authority, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, among others.

The House contingent to regularly coordinate and consult with the Palace team are Majority Leader Arthur Defensor, Reps. Junie Cua (chairman-Appropriations Committee), Jaime Lopez (Banks and Financial Intermediaries), Danilo Suarez (Oversight), Exequiel Javier (Ways and Means) Ramon Durano VI (Economic Affairs), Antonio Alvarez (Trade and Industry), Manuel "Way Kurat" Zamora (Overseas Workers Affairs), and Magtanggol Gunigundo (Labor and Employment).

"Trickling but alarming reports of thousands of OFWs losing their jobs should mobilize government, with the help of the private sector, to set in place contingency plans and programs to mitigate the domino-effects of such retrenchments," Nograles said.

"We must continue this coordinated action and come up with concrete policies and programs to strengthen current policies and programs related to job creation, promotion of entrepreneurship among Filipinos, promotion of foreign investments and investment dispersal to the countryside," Nograles said.

While the government is concerned with OFWs losing their jobs in foreign lands, Nograles said there is also the possible real danger of mass lay-off by local companies that depend mainly on foreign job orders.

"We also have to look at the local employment and job generation scenario. Our economy is not impregnable. We cannot go easy and just wait for the bomb to explode in our faces," Nograles said. (Gil Bugaoisan)