MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo and her office, in partnership with the private sector, have launched a new project for those who lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a tweet on Thursday, Robredo announced the launch of the Bayanihanapbuhay — a website created with the help of Sikap.PH and Elevatech, which people finding jobs can use to match with over 2,700 job listings, for free.
She said that the initiative was created after her office received many inquiries on whether the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is referring people for certain employment opportunities, as the country posted a record-high unemployment rate of 45.5 percent in July.
“Today, we are launching our new initiative, BAYANIHANAPBUHAY—our response to help those who lost their jobs amid this crisis. We have partnered with Sikap.PH to put up a platform, which those who need jobs and those who need workers can use free of charge,” Robredo said.
“During this crisis, we have been receiving many messages from people looking for jobs. We hope that through this, they would have an easier time finding work opportunities,” she added.
Today, we are launching our new initiative, BAYANIHANAPBUHAY—our response to help those who lost their jobs amid this crisis.
We have partnered with https://t.co/8wTLqDZmgx to put up a platform, which those who need jobs and those who need workers can use free of charge. pic.twitter.com/WTQR91AoUT
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) September 10, 2020
According to Robredo, interested applicants can sign up by going to the Sikap.PH website, clicking the log in and sign up button and pick the “I’m a worker” option. Applicants then can place their full names, e-mail addresses, and password to create a Sikap.PH account.
The Vice President also urged possible employers to contact them through bayanihanapbuhay@ovp.gov.ph. so that they could open more job postings for applicants.
“We currently have 2,796 job postings, thanks to all the partners who immediately responded to our call. In the coming days, we hope to post more openings, as we invite more partners,” she said.
We currently have 2,796 job postings, thanks to all the partners who immediately responded to our call. In the coming days, we hope to post more openings, as we invite more partners.
To those interested to work with us, please email us at bayanihanapbuhay@ovp.gov.ph. pic.twitter.com/6wGz82dQXq
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) September 10, 2020
Bayanihanapbuhay, which appears to be a contraction of the Tagalog words “bayanihan” or helping each member of the community, and compound word “hanap-buhay” which is to find a source of livelihood or job, is the latest OVP project in the midst of health crisis.
Robredo’s office has previously launched donation drives that facilitated the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for health workers, tapped local tailors to make high quality PPEs, and sourced coronavirus testing kits that were distributed to various testing centers.
The OVP also crafted a free shuttle service for frontliners, which helped health workers and other people working for essential industries to move to and from their work, as the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon and other parts of the country last March suspended public transportation.
The OVP also offered dormitories near hospitals to frontliners, so that they would not worry about transportation and possibly infecting their relatives.
Since the pandemic forced the national government to suspend normal activities, the economy has dived into a recession. The government admitted that the country’s gross domestic product for the second quarter of 2020 has shrunk by 16.5 percent.
Unemployment rate has risen to levels never seen prior, because of suspended operations in various sectors. A survey released by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) says that 45.5 percent of Filipinos were without jobs as of July.
In a recent survey, SWS noted that two of five Filipinos expect the Philippine economy to worsen in the next 12 months — such high rates of economic pessimism since June 2008, when the country was affected by the global financial crisis.