Escudero: Next admin should prioritize job creation, bring recovery programs to provinces

FILE Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero. INQUIRER.NET/CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — The next administration should prioritize job generation, especially those who lost jobs as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, senatorial candidate Francis Escudero said Wednesday.

Escudero said the government should use the 2022 budget to fuel economic activity to create more jobs.

“Bilang miyembro ng Senado dati man o kung bibigyan ng pagkakataon, ang pinapasa namin ay batas. Kung pwede ko lang isabatas na lahat ng naghahanap ng trabaho ay mabibigyan ng trabaho, matagal na sana isinabatas iyan,” he said in a statement.

(As a member of the Senate, we pass laws. If only I could legislate that all individuals seeking jobs should be hired, we would have done that.)

“Pero ang trabaho ng Senado ay magpasa ng batas na magbibigay-daan dito gamit ang taunang budget at appropriation. Iyan ang magsisilbing tulay para muling bumangon ang ekonomiya at malagyan ng karampatang pondo ang mga sektor,” he added.

(However, the task of the Senate is to pass laws that would give way to such using the annual budget. That will serve as a bridge for economic recovery and give enough budget to different sectors.)

According to Escudero, the budget for 2022 should serve as a “recovery budget” to re-open more businesses and help the economy boom and create more jobs.

Citing the latest Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Escudero said the unemployment rate in the country was at 6.6 percent—equivalent to 3.27 million Filipinos—as of December 2021.

Meanwhile, Escudero also called on the government to extend its economic and employment programs to underdeveloped regions.

“Hindi lahat ng naghahanap ng trabaho nasa siyudad, kaya dapat ang recovery programs ng gobyerno ay ikalat din sa ibang parte ng bansa upang makapagbigay ng pantay na pagkakataong mag-negosyo at mag-trabaho ang bawat Pilipino, at sa gayon, pantay ding umangat ang ating ekonomiya,” he said.

(Not everyone who is looking for jobs is in the cities, that’s why the government’s recovery programs should be distributed to other parts of the country to give equal opportunities for Filipinos to establish businesses and work.)