Manila: The strong partnership between the government and local government units (LGUs) in providing job opportunities led to the improvement in employment figures, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, 'In our unwavering commitment to promoting employment and livelihood opportunities for all and following the President's directive to boost the conduct of job fairs across the country, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Department of Health (DOH), is actively spearheading the "Trabaho sa Bagong Pilipinas" and has evolved into "Trabaho at Serbisyong Pangkalusugan sa Bagong Pilipinas" which effectively converge national government initiatives with LGU participation through the Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) and serving a wide array of individuals,' Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma in a statement.
The Philippine Statistics Authority said preliminary results of the latest Labor Force Survey (LFS) showed that the unemployment rate further declined to 3.8 percent in February this year from 4.3 percent the previous month. It was the lowest rate since the 3.1 percent recorded in December last year. It also said the number of unemployed Filipinos declined to 1.94 million from 2.16 million in January this year.
'Through targeted job fairs, we are directly connecting those graduating from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) with meaningful employment prospects. This collaborative endeavor mirrors our dedication to empowering our groups in vulnerable situations towards self-sufficiency and a stable future,' Laguesma added. He, meanwhile, said the DOLE is now preparing for the holding of the annual Labor Day job fairs.
'In direct response to the President's resolute call for poverty reduction and inclusive growth, the Department will once again be conducting our annual Labor Day Job Fair with a theme 'Manggagawang Pilipino, Kaagapay sa Pag-unlad, Sandigan ng Mas Matatag na Bagong Pilipinas'. This vital initiative in partnership with the private sector will bring thousands of local and overseas job opportunities directly to our Filipino jobseekers, reaffirming our dedication to connecting available talent with opportunities in the labor market,' he said.
He added that the DOLE is also bolstering its efforts to empower the youth through various programs such as the JobStart Program, Special Program for Employment of Students, and Government Internship Program. The labor chief also noted the February 2025 LFS manifested the government's firm commitment to creating more jobs as it maintained a positive outlook and an encouraging trajectory for the local labor market.
He noted that the robust services sector continues to remain a primary driver of job creation, contributing 61.6 percent to total employment. 'We are equally encouraged by the significant employment growth witnessed in both our agriculture and industry sectors. This balanced growth across key economic pillars strengthens the resilience and diversity of our employment and livelihood landscape,' Laguesma said.
Meanwhile, the DOLE also recognized the need to adapt to emerging digital transformations in the labor market and prioritize upskilling and reskilling, with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at the forefront performing a significant role. 'Convergence with other departments like NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority), DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology), and DOST (Department of Science and Technology) will be very critical in pursuing initiatives under the Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act such as recently-developed training regulations on cybersecurity and related digital skills. We are determined to proactively address this with a firm commitment to safeguarding our workers' rights and welfare,' he added.
