FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium, on December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the growth of the country’s economy should be felt by all quarters, including the labor sector.
Marcos said the government should ensure that workers are able to reap the benefits of a growing economy, pointing out that the labor sector is usually left behind in the efforts of countries to industrialize.
“Sa pag-aaral ko, ‘pag nag-industrialize ang isang bansa, kung minsan naiiwanan ang labor. Kaya’t sinasabi ko lagi huwag natin pabayaan mangyari ‘yun dahil napakalaki ng ating labor force,” he said in a speech in Quezon City.
(In my study, when a country industrializes, sometimes labor is left behind. That’s why I always say let’s not let that happen because our labor force is huge.)
“Kaya’t titingnan natin na hindi naman kung ilan lang sa ating lipunan ang yumayaman at gumaganda ang buhay kung hindi lahat po hanggang sa labor, sa ating mga magsasaka, lahat ng sektor ng ekonomiya ay kailangan nating tiyakin na sila ay nakakaramdam din nung pagpaganda ng ating ekonomiya,” Marcos added.
(So we’ll see to it that not only a few in our society will become rich and will have better lives, it should be all including labor, our farmers, and all sectors of the economy should be assured that they will also be feeling our improving economy.)
Marcos issued the remark during the launching of the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” (KNP) outlet in Quezon City dubbed as “KNP Para sa Manggagawa.”
READ: Kadiwa sales hit P418 million, says Malacañang
He said the new outlet is part of the government’s efforts to help workers amid soaring prices of commodities.
Marcos also said that KNP Para sa Manggagawa is part of the continuing expansion of the Kadiwa centers nationwide. The objective of KNP is to provide Filipino farmers, fisherfolk and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) the venue for their livelihood so they could generate more income through a direct farm-to-consumer trade.
He said the government has identified more areas to put up Kadiwa markets in the country.
READ: Marcos wants more Kadiwa stores
Participating in Wednesday’s Kadiwa caravan are 33 sellers from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Agriculture, and Department of Trade and Industry, as well as sellers brought in by the Quezon City government.
According to Malacañang, the DOLE is providing wages for participating sellers under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
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