Palace: Spike in unemployment expected after spate of calamities

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – With the numerous calamities that devastated a large part of the country last year, a rise in the rate of unemployment is understandable, Malacañang said Monday.

“The unemployment factor increase was understandable,” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a Palace press briefing, referring to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

He attributed it to the Zamboanga City siege in September, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that shook Bohol and Cebu in October, and Super Typhoon “Yolanda” that killed thousands of people and ravaged Eastern Visayas in November last year.

The SWS poll, conducted from December 11 to 16, showed that the number of unemployed Filipinos had risen by 2.5 million. The unemployment rate increased from 21.7 percent or 9.6 million people in September to 27.5 percent or 12.1 million in December.

But Lacierda said the government is working to help people find employment.

“We will continue to find measures that can provide employment for them. For instance, in the areas affected by ‘Yolanda’…We expect reconstruction and rehabilitation to be moving, and so we will expect employment to be done,” he said.

Lacierda noted the ongoing cash-for-work program of the government in areas hit by the calamities.

“Certainly, it’s very unfortunate that these things happen, but we have to rise up. That is the role of government: to provide for its people,” he added.

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