PSAC supports government drive for education, upskilling of Filipino workers

The Private Sector Advisory Council is in full support of the Philippine government's drive to make Filipino workers future-ready. The members of the group conveyed this sentiment when they tackled with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte issues related to workers' skills development programs and learning recovery programs.

On 9 December, the President and Vice President sat down with the PSAC Jobs Sector, led by Lead Convenor Sabin Aboitiz and Sector Lead Joey Concepcion. The PSAC recommended programs that would primarily help farmers, micro, small, and medium enterprises, Business Process Outsourcing agents, overseas Filipino workers, and medical practitioners, among other local workers.

"PSAC agreed with and is in full support of the government's drive to upskill and reskill our own talents and retool the education system. These will provide a wide range of opportunities for Filipino workers to create a skill set that is future-ready," Concepcion said.

Several priority programs were recommended by the PSAC, such as: giving MSMEs access to money, markets, and mentoring; enabling them to undertake digital transformation; identifying labor-intensive, high-potential business segments/industry clusters that the Philippines can compete in and aggressively promote; and authorizing CHED and its attached agency, the Unified Student Financial Assistance System, to immediately implement the long term student loan provision of Republic Act No. 10931.

In a report released by the Office of the Press Secretary, Marcos raised the need to retrain and reskill OFWs who wish to come back and stay in the country for good.

Marcos, who presided over the meeting, reported that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority is eyeing to put up additional 17 innovation centers, which will help it offer high skills training programs to Filipino workers. The President also committed to help Filipino workers flourish by streamlining existing processes and making it easier for MSMEs to thrive.

Among those present in the meeting were Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, TESDA Deputy Director General Tonisito Machiaveli Umali, Department of Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and SAP Secretary Antonio Lagdameo, Jr.

Also present were PSAC Lead convenor and Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin M. Aboitiz, JG Summit CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei, PSAC Secretariat Lead Geraldine Polanco-Onganon, PSAC Communication Lead Ginggay Hontiveros, and representatives from McKinsey & Company.

###