Appoint ‘Balik Trabaho’ czar amid pandemic, senator asks gov’t

Driver Arthur Vinluan, 62, sits on a passenger jeepney beside a sign that says “sorry we’re not yet in operation” at the Tandang Sora terminal which have been home for them since a lockdown started three months ago on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 in Quezon city, Philippines. “We get mosquitos bites when we sleep at night but you get used to it” quips Vinluan. About 35 jeepney drivers were forced to stay due to travel restrictions and have made jeepneys their home as the government banned public transport during the community quarantine to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Many of the jobless drivers have resorted to begging in the streets, displaying cardboard signs scrawled with pleas for money and food on their multi-colored jeepneys. (AP File Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros is urging the national government to appoint a “Balik-Trabaho Czar” who will lead the government’s response measures against unemployment brought by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

During a Senate hearing with the country’s economic managers under the Development Budget Coordination Council (DBCC) on Thursday, Hontiveros said the country needs a person-in-charge with formal authority and responsibility given by the President to better oversee and coordinate government’s efforts to aid Filipinos who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

“Tutal mahilig ang Malacañang sa pag-aapoint ng czar sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng COVID-19 response, sana ay may italaga din na ‘ Balik Trabaho Czar” na magsisikap na ibalik ang trabaho ng milyong-milyong Pilipino ngayong panahon ng krisis,” Hontiveros said.

(Since Malacañang likes appointing czars in various aspects of COVID-19 response, I hope a ‘Balik Trabaho Czar’ will be appointed so that he or she can work to restore the jobs of millions of Filipinos in this time of crisis.)

Currently, Hontiveros said it is unclear which government official or is in charge of creating and restoring jobs in the country.

“When I last spoke with Secretary Silvestre Bello III of the Department of Labor and Employment, he told me na hindi daw nya assignment ang employment preservation o employment creation. Then whose job is it? Who is in-charge?” Hontiveros asked.

(When I last spoke with Secretary Silvestre Bello III of the Department of Labor and Employment, he told me that employment preservation or employment creation are not his assignments.)

“Kung hindi natin maagapan ang problema sa unemployment, marami ang magugutom, hindi makakapag-aral at hindi makakuha ng gamutan na kanilang kailangan. This is why we need a ‘Balik Trabaho Czar’ who will take a hands-on approach to solving the unemployment crisis before it gets worse,” she added.

(If we do not solve the problem of unemployment, a lot of people will be hungry, not be able to study and not be able to receive medical attention that they need.)

Citing government data, Hontiveros said roughly 4.6 million Filipinos were jobless as of July 2020 and this is still expected to rise in the coming months.

Further, Hontiveros pointed out that the unemployment rate is at 10 percent, which is almost twice compared to last year’s rate.

“The unemployment crisis may not be an infectious disease like COVID-19, but it is spreading fast like one in communities nationwide. This is an urgent problem that seriously needs utmost attention from the government,” Hontiveros said.

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