Gov’t earmarks P30.8B to fill job vacancies

MANILA, Philippines–The government has earmarked P30.8 billion for the hiring of personnel to fill almost 87,000 vacant positions this year, according to the Department of Budget and Management.

In a statement on Monday, the DBM said the funding shall come from the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund in the 2015 national budget.

Citing the staffing summary of the 2015 National Expenditure Program, the DBM noted that 86 percent, or 1,244,931, of the 1,433,186 permanent positions in government agencies were already filled.

But of the 188,255 available slots, only 86,994 could be filled this year, the DBM said.

Of these vacancies, 44,602 are for teaching and nonteaching positions at the Department of Education, on top of 6,865 positions at state universities and colleges; 15,898 are for safety and security-related jobs at the Department of the Interior and Local Government, including the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Philippine National Police; 5,780 positions at the Department of National Defense; 767 at the Department of Labor and Employment’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; 120 at the Commission on Higher Education; and 102 at the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Science High School.

More teachers, nurses

Also to be filled are 4,179 vacancies in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; 8,375 healthcare-related jobs at the Department of Health and 306 positions at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

“The [Aquino] administration is committed to providing our people with job opportunities, especially during this period of robust growth, requiring the support of a skilled and able workforce. The national government needs to employ more teachers, nurses and other crucial personnel in order to maximize the delivery of social services,” Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.

“It’s in our best interest to fulfill the required job positions in the national government as they serve a twofold purpose. We give jobs to Filipinos who have the appropriate work skills and we ensure that our programs are carried out by suitable personnel. In doing so, we’re able to respond to the needs of all our countrymen,” Abad said.

Also, the DBM said P16.7 billion had been allocated to create 65,204 positions at DepEd, DILG and DOH.