Villanueva wants equal work opportunities for elderly

By: Maila Ager - 2 years ago

Senator Joel Villanueva work for seniors says improving "soft skills" can also help address job mismatch in the country MANILA, Philippines — Senator Joel Villanueva on Wednesday said the improvement of “soft skills” could also help address job mismatch in the country while he agrees there is a need to review the education curriculum. “Kailangan po talaga natin ng reporma sa sistema ng edukasyon ng ating bansa, mula sa curriculum at sa upskilling ng ating mga guro,” he said in a statement. (We really need reform in the country’s education system, from curriculum to the upskilling of teachers.) “Maliban sa kailangang mag-improve ang performance natin sa STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, pagtuunan din po natin ng pansin ang 'soft skills' na makakatulong sa pagtatrabaho gaya ng values education at ang panukala isama ang labor education sa curriculum,” he pointed out. (Aside from the need to improve our performance in STEM subjects, we should also pay attention to “soft skills” that would help in the performance of work like values education and the proposed inclusion of labor education in the curriculum.) According to Villanueva, the government has started reforming the learning system to address job-skills mismatch with the passage of the Philippine Qualifications Framework Law, Excellence in Teacher Education Act, and the Tulong Trabaho Law. The senator is a proponent of these measures. The Philippine Qualifications Framework Law ensures that the country’s education system and training are fit for the qualifications of employers worldwide. The Excellence in Teacher Education Act aims for educators' improvement under the Teacher Education Council, as it gives scholarships and training for teachers, while the Tulong Trabaho Law seeks to solve jobs-skills mismatch through free technical and vocational training and education. Villanueva said that he is pushing for the immediate establishment of the Second Education Commission in the 19th Congress so the country would have a comprehensive education system assessment to address the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Na-endorse na po ito sa tanggapan ng Presidente para sa kanyang karampatang aksyon,” he said. (This was already endorsed to the Office of the President for his appropriate action.) “Handa po tayong makipag-ugnayan sa administrasyong Marcos para masiguro at mapabuti lalo ang implementasyon ng mga batas na ito, at makipagtulungan para sa mga dagdag na panukalang magrereporma ng ating sistema ng edukasyon,” he continued. (We are ready to coordinate with the Marcos administration to ensure and enhance the implementation of these laws and work together for more reform proposals in our education system.) Villanueva also expressed support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for a review of the country’s education curriculum to fix the job mismatch. Citing the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, Villanueva noted that Filipino students are the lowest in Math and Science. READ: PH’s Grade 4 students lowest in math, science around the world — int’l study The study showed that 81 percent of Grade 4 Filipino learners did not reach the low benchmark in Math while 87 percent did not hit the low benchmark in Science. KGA

FILE PHOTO: Senator Joel Villanueva. Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines— Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva is seeking the immediate passage of a measure that will promote equal work opportunities for senior citizens and encourage private companies to hire the elderly.

In filing Senate Bill No. 360, Villanueva noted that 3.17 million senior citizens are still “gainful workers” based on the latest available data from the Philippine Statistics Authority as of 2015.

“There is a need to provide opportunities for our senior citizens who are still able and willing to obtain gainful employment and wish to continue to become economically active and productive during their golden years,” he said.

Under his bill, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will be mandated to provide a matching and employment facilitation services for senior citizens.

It will also raise the allowable deduction from gross income of private entities that will employ senior citizens as employees from 15 percent to 25 percent of the total amount paid as salaries and wages, as well as trainings provided to senior citizens, in accordance with Section 34 of the National Internal Revenue Code.

The bill likewise removes the proviso that the annual income of the senior citizen should not exceed the latest poverty threshold.

This is “to encourage employers to hire senior citizens from all walks of life, as long as they are able, willing and qualified to do the job,” Villanueva explained.

Employers would also be allowed, under the bill, the flexibility to grant greater benefits or improve the working conditions and terms of employment of senior citizens beyond the minimum requirements provided under applicable laws.

“Given the foregoing, this bill will redound to the benefit of millions of senior citizens who wish to remain economically active and productive,” Villanueva said.

“Thus, in line with the state’s policy to take care of the interest and welfare of our senior citizens, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought,” he further said.

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