President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday signed the Trabaho Para Bayan (TPB) Act that will pave the way for the creation of a national master plan to address unemployment, underemployment and youth unemployment.
Under the new legislation, an inter-agency council (IAC) from national government agencies as well as representatives from employers and labor organizations, marginalized sector, and informal sector will be tasked to formulate and monitor the implementation of the TPB plan.
The council will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the employment situation and labor market to prepare the plan.
It will be led by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and co-chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The TPB plan will contain short-term and long-term goals to stimulate economic growth, promote employability and boost labor productivity.
It will focus on providing support to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), upskilling and reskilling, addressing youth unemployment, and providing reintegration support for overseas Filipino workers (OFW).
Business incentives
Marcos said among the salient provisions of RA 11962 is the provision of incentives to employers, industry stakeholders, and private partners who will facilitate skills development, technology transfer and knowledge sharing among businesses and workers.
“To our businesses, especially our MSMEs, we will continue to provide support and other incentives such as increased access to financing and capital to promote self reliance and spur employment generation,” the Chief Executive said in his speech during the signing ceremony.
“With this concerted effort, I am confident that we will not only achieve the goals of this law but we will also realize our vision of Bagong Pilipinas,” he added.
For his part, Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan lauded the signing of the TPB Act, which, he stressed, will help improve the competitiveness of the labor market.
“We support the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act as it contributes to the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims to increase employability, expand access to employment opportunities, and achieve shared labor market governance,” Balisacan said.
The President enjoined all government agencies, including local government units (LGU), to cooperate and coordinate with the IAC to integrate the plan into their policies and programs.
He also called on DOLE and the Neda to harmonize the labor and employment plan 2023-2028 with the soon-to-be created TBP plan.
The ceremonial signing of the new law was held in Malacañang and was attended by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez as well as Senators Imee R. Marcos and Joel J. Villanueva.
Other participants in the event were the secretaries of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, DOLE, DTI, and Neda.
Image credits: Willy Kurniawan/Pool Photo via AP
