President adapts employment-increasing strategies
MANILA, Oct. 5 (PNA) - President Benigno Aquino III stepped up government efforts to improve the country's employment situation.
On Tuesday in Tagaytay City, he launched government's national skills registry system to help facilitate prospective employers' access to information on available local manpower.
"This will bring forth faster data retrieval," he said at the launch.
Government will also revive its nationwide emergency employment program, he announced.
He likewise ordered Department of Education to boost its guidance for helping students identify their best career options so they can be economically productive after school.
Mr. Aquino confirmed acting labor chief Rosalinda Baldoz' promotion as permanent Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) head, believing she can help government realize its labor agenda.
Citing latest available data, National Statistics Office (NSO) reported the Philippines posted in July 2010 an employment rate of 93.1 percent with 36.3 million people employed in the services, agricultural and industrial sectors.
Of the country's nearly 61 million-strong population 15 years old and over, NSO said 39 million people comprised the country's labor force then.
Underemployment nationwide also declined to 17.9 percent in July 2010 from 19.8 percent the year earlier, NSO continued.
President Aquino belied speculations jobs are difficult to find in the Philippines.
He said there are jobs but these can't be filled up at once since prospective employees' skills don't match market needs.
The registry system will help employers better find people who'll meet their expectations, he noted.
Some 35 local government units (LGUs) adapted this system already.
Malacanang hopes more LGUs can do so also.
President Aquino likewise wants locals to be hired for infrastructure projects in or near their respective communities.
"About half of manpower required for these projects must come from the communities," he said.
Aside from helping the locals become economically productive through such emergency employment measure, he believes this will enhance their participation in community development.
He ordered DOLE to develop a coordinating system for monitoring government's emergency employment program.
NSO reported laborers and unskilled workers accounted for nearly 32 percent or the bulk of employed people nationwide in July 2010.
"Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen were the second largest group, accounting for 16.8 percent of the total employed," NSO noted.
Government continues implementing its skills training program to give more people the opportunity for enhancing their work capabilities, however.
Authorities believe this will give them a more competitive edge in the workplace.
President commits support for public school teachers
MANILA, Oct. 5 (PNA) - President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III assured government's continuing action against corruption to help alleviate the plight of public school teachers nationwide.
Such action is needed so more government funds can be used instead to provide such teachers with the training, benefits, tools and facilities for further enhancing their performance at work, he noted.
"I won't be blind to problems we must address," he said Tuesday in Pasig City during a program marking World Teachers Day (WTD).
President Aquino believes government must extend as much assistance to public school teachers as possible since their work is vital to nation-building.
"Shaping children's minds is a big task," he said.
Aside from their school duties, he said teachers also act as parents who advise students on how to cope with their problems.
He acknowledged low pay and lack of logistics support for the teachers at present make their task more difficult.
President Aquino lauded the teachers for persevering to educate the youth despite such difficulty.
"Your sacrifice and dedication to work is incomparable," he said.
He is pleased about celebration of WTD, convinced this helps highlight teachers' role in moving the country forward.
"It's a small recognition of teachers' contribution to society," he said.
Earlier, Malacanang proposed for Department of Education (DepEd) next year a budget of P207.3 billion.
This amount represents 12.6 percent or the biggest chunk of Malacanang's total P1.6 trillion proposed 2011 budget.
The proposed budget is also 18.4 percent higher than the P175 billion DepEd budget for this year.
Such increase is the highest for DepEd in over a decade, Malacanang noted.
Malacanang said the proposed hike in DepEd's 2011 budget includes provisions for constructing 13,147 additional classrooms and creating 10,000 teaching positions in government.
DOE and 34 other government agencies sign MOA on Government Office Retrofit Program
The Department of Energy (DOE), in its continuing effort to lessen the impact of global warming by implementing a cleaner, more efficient and cost- effective utilization of energy, is undertaking the retrofit program of selected government office buildings replacing all existing T12 and T8 standard fluorescent tubes with the revolutionary Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFLs.
Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras signed the Memorandum of Agreement with the heads of 34 government agencies, including the Philippine Information Agency, to put this program into effect.
According to Secretary Almendras, although we can build more and generate more energy, we must do our share of addressing consumption.
“This is an intermediate step because the future of lighting is here, you can have the power of a 100 W bulb in a 7W LED that can effectively save 93% of KW hour consumption,” Secretary Almendras added.
Compared to standard fluorescent tubes and ordinary incandescent light bulbs, CFLs are four times more efficient and lasts up to 10 times longer, and has about the same light output as 100 watt incandescent. CFLS use less energy, making it less expensive and saves more money in the long run.
Unlike the ordinary fluorescent tubes and incandescent light bulbs, CFLS are mercury free, thereby reducing the incidence of air and water pollution when disposed. Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of Carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.
The contract signing took place on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at the DOE head office in Taguig City attended by no less than Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and the PIA Director General Atty. Jose A. Fabia. (PIA)
