Creation of new jobs top priority under an Isko Moreno presidency

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso’s top priority is the creation of new jobs for the unemployed while the security of tenure for contractual workers will be addressed once the country’s economy has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

If elected president, Moreno said he will prioritize the creation of new jobs and assistance for pandemic-stricken businesses and industries during the first two years of his term.

“Now, cross fingers. Kapag bumuti na ang buhay, then, let’s talk about permanency of jobs, security of jobs, the value of yung effort ng tao,” Moreno said Monday in a press conference in Oriental Mindoro.

“For now, I guarantee you it is in our agenda. But my first agenda is to create more jobs whether it is temporary for six months or one year,” said Moreno.

Citing limited resources for cash aid on the part of the national government, Moreno said the national government must help people keep their jobs for them to survive through the pandemic.

“Basta makapag-hanapbuhay muna more than anything else because the government cannot sustain every month na ayuda nang ayuda,” he said.

The 47-year-old presidential aspirant said the government can “dream big” on labor reforms once businesses and workers are capable of surviving the effects of the pandemic.

“Let’s be honest to ourselves: when we dream, we dream big but we work on what can we work on for now to survive,” Moreno said

Moreno has been consistent with his position on the issue of labor contractualization which is more popularly known as “Endo” for end of contract.

During a visit in a basket factory in Bacolor, Pampanga last month, Moreno told the media that regularization of contractual workers will not be an immediate priority of his administration if he wins the 2022 presidential race.

As expected, Moreno’s position on “Endo” received criticisms from labor groups, especially those from militant labor unions.

“Ang pangarap natin syempre permanenteng trabaho. Pero maraming nagsasarang kumpanya eh. Aanhin mo ang permanenteng trabaho kung wala naman trabaho? Ang gusto ko makatrabaho ka muna ng anim na buwan, makatrabaho ka uli ng anim na buwan, magkatrabaho ka uli anim na buwan. Ngayon, sinabi ko yung pangarap natin two years after, three years after, bumuti ang ekonomiya, pumanatag ang negosyo, then we start talking about long term. So gusto ko itawid muna ang tao,” said Moreno in an interview during a gathering of his volunteer groups at the Quezon Memorial Circle last month.

Moreno said he is just being honest when answering questions on issues being asked of him by members of the media.

“I’m being honest on my position. I’m being honest telling the people that what I want is to provide more jobs, create more jobs, temporary, immediate, para meron silang mapagharimunan. Gumaang ang presyo ng bilihin para sa ganun dumami naman yung mabibili nilang produkto, pangunahing bilihin sa perang hawak-hawak nila,” Moreno said.

Moreno said the reason why he will continue the “Build, Build, Build” program of the current administration is precisely to create thousands of jobs that will be generated in the building of bridges, public mass housing and public hospitals nationwide.

“Gawa muna tayo ng tulay. Huwag muna tayo maging makasarili. Kailangan tayong mga Pilipino mag-unawaan tayo. At the end of the day iisang bangka tayo eh. Pag lubog nito, lubog tayo lahat. So, it doesn’t mean two years from now, three years from now we will not discuss it. For the meantime, gusto ko trabaho, trabaho. Tatlong buwan may available thank you. Anim na buwan thank you. Isang taon, thank you,” Moreno explained.

“Eh ako nga naging basurero hindi ako nagreklamo eh. Ako nga sidecar boy iniraos ko sariling pamilya ko hindi ako nagreklamo. Bakit? Ang mahalaga sa akin makapag-trabaho muna tayo ng may mapagharimunan ang pamilya natin, first things first,” Moreno said.