According to the results released last May 23 of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, joblessness among adult Filipinos, rose to 27.2 percent, up from 23.5 percent in November 2010.
This means that an estimated 11.3 million—composing of Filipinos who have resigned from their jobs or who have been retrenched from their jobs, as well as first-time jobseekers—are out of work compared to just 9.9 million in November 2010.
Labor groups blamed President Benigno Aquino III for the massive rise in unemployment in the country, saying that his lack of a comprehensive employment policy and anti-worker and anti-people policies, as well as promoting contractualization to please big foreign and local capitalists, were among the factors that led to a the soaring unemployment rate.
Roger Soluta, secretary-general of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) also pointed out that “workers are leaving their work which means there is a widespread discontent over existing employment opportunities in the country.”
Zambales Representative Mitos Magsaysay also cited that PNoy’s slow response to issues caused the economic slowdown and unemployment; thus brining down investor confidence in the country as well.
The Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education however says that the detoriating quality of education is to blamed for the large unemployment and underemployment rates of college graduates.
On the other hand, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that the country’s unemployment rate rose to 7.4 precent in January of this year from 7.3 percent (2.8 million) in the same period in 2010, meaning that only three million Filipinos are out of work beginning this year.
Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte said the methodology used by SWS in the survey was different from the one used by the NSO on the country’s labor market, citing that the SWS survey results are “statistically insignificant.”
Valte also assured that the present administration is making every effort to create more job opportunities, citing that PNoy’s official visits to Thailand and Brunei will hopefully attract businessmen in those countries to invest in the Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also stressed that efforts are in the process to bring the country back on the investment map which entails streamlining business processes and the timely implementation of public-private partnership projects.
It is also worth noting that tourism investments in the country has risen, with the tourism department reporting that the industry enjoyed a 17 percent growth in visitor arrivals in 2010 and a 13 percent rise in arrivals in the first quarter of this year, which means that there are a lot of job opportunities in the tourist sector.
The Department of Trade and Industry also has worked tirelessly to attract investors and has reported an increase in investment pledges for the first quarter this year.
As PNoy closes in on marking one full year as president, it is only commonplace that the unemployment problem in the country is brought to the fore as the SWS survey did. It was also a year ago when PNoy promised “to provide jobs for local communities and will help in the development of their and our economy” in his inaugural address at the Quirino Grandstand.
However, it is evident that PNoy and his team are making efforts to improve the employment rate of the country, but positive results are yet to happen if we are to look at the SWS survey.
While it is admirable that PNoy is using his position to talk with foreign investors and entice them to invest in the country, it is probably just as good of an idea if he looks into possible investors locally and make sure that the enterprises in the country are well-assisted. In the end, success in enterprises honed right here in the country would be beneficial to local jobseekers and will surely attract investors from other nations.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(NYNJ June 3-9, 2011 Sec A pg. 6)
