The job generation campaign targeting to produce 1 million jobs for Filipinos is on track, as three of the country’s top business organizations will not rest on their laurels in attaining the ambitious target for this year.

“We are now focusing on setting up a platform and we are trying to improve the set where the job mismatch can be addressed, and almost every week, we have our job fairs. Last Labor Day, we had 22 more sites all over the Philippines where we conducted jobs fair and there are more available jobs,” said Sergio Ortiz Luis, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) in a media interview during the 45th National Conference of Employers themed “Job Generation in a Technology-Driven Environment” at the Manila Hotel on Tuesday.

“Project Jobs” is being jointly pursued by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT), that is aimed at setting up of a digital platform intended to inform job seekers how they can take part in the program.

Unfortunately, Ortiz-Luis Jr. said there’s some kind of a mismatch, which is why they are setting up a virtual platform so they can address the system.

“We are now focusing on setting up the platform, especially the one where applicants do not need to be physically present. We are also trying to improve the setup where the mismatch can be addressed,” the ECOP president said.

Revitalized education system needed

In attaining more jobs amid digitization, Ortiz Luis Jr. believes that the education system should be improved, especially now that the Secretary of the Department of Education, Vice President Sara Duterte has just recently relinquished her post.

He said the state of education in the country has become a cause for concern, citing that one of the major contributors to the problem is the lack of budget allocated by the government to the education sector.

“It’s an issue. That’s why we are putting out platforms in education. For example, in the past, we were ahead when it comes to English. But today, Thailand and Malaysia are already ahead of us. In Mathematics, we are moving further and further away,” he said.

“It’s about the budget. They (government) are not putting enough (budget for the sector),” he added.

Technology as catalyst

For her part, ECOP Chairperson for NCE45 Rhoda Caliwara maintained that technology remains a catalyst for job generation and economic sustainability.

“As we navigate the complexities of Industry 5.0, we must align our strategies with the technological advancements reshaping industries,” Caliwara said.

Wage-setting mechanisms

Meanwhile, ECOP has called on the Marcos administration to craft minimum wage-setting mechanisms that are equitable for both employers and employees, especially during this time of digital era, one of the various resolutions that the group has crafted being part of the NCE45.

“The government and the social partners must promote minimum wage-setting mechanisms that consider productivity, the market value of jobs, and the financial capacity of businesses, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to ensure sustainable job creation and business growth, and that consider the impact on the majority of the population that will not benefit from such adjustments,” the resolution, approved by ECOP officials and members said.

ECOP has been airing deep concern about the proposed P100 national wage hike for the workers in the private sector, which, according to the group, a dangerous precedent considering that the Senate of the Philippines has recently approved on 3rd and final reading Senate Bill No. 2534 or “An Act Providing for 100 Pesos Daily Minimum Wage Increase for Employees and Workers in The Private Sector.”

The Senate bill aims at adjusting the minimum wage for private-sector employees — in the formal sector.

ECOP said that aside from the private sector employees, there are also public sector (government) employees and workers in the informal sector, who will not benefit from the proposed adjustments but will suffer its ill effects.

The group maintained that if the proposed legislated wage hike is enacted into law, more than eight out of 10 workers in the government and the informal sector will not receive any adjustment.

“Only the roughly 4 million workers receiving minimum wages will receive the P100/day wage increase, while the other employees in the formal sector will likely receive token wage distortion adjustments,” the group said.

Other resolutions

Also, ECOP officials, have called on the government, academe, and education and training institutions to prioritize developing life skills, technological skills, and soft skills required for employment, particularly among the youth and underserved sectors of society.

Further, they asked the government, in partnership with social partners, to develop national resilience programs, social protection mechanisms, and transition strategies that will support both workers and employers from technological, climate, and geopolitical disruptions.

“The government must provide incentives and subsidies for businesses that adopt advanced technologies and sustainability mechanisms, providing training programs for their workers to acquire relevant skills,” the group stated in its resolution.

Moreover, they also urged the government and social partners to continue to encourage bipartism, tripartism, and social dialogue to address workplace issues, particularly in improving job generation, upholding fair compensation for workers, and ensuring enterprise sustainability over the long term.

“Further, the government must strictly adhere to the principles of tripartism in considering appointment to tripartite bodies,” the group noted.

ECOP aired its resolutions as the world’s economies continue to recover toward a new normal, demand for jobs that require new skill sets will likewise increase; as Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and other new technologies will reshape workplace configurations, policies, processes, and strategies, and will require massive reskilling and upskilling of workers; as these technological disruptions together with issues on climate change, demographic shifts, and geopolitics will create both opportunities and challenges that will impact social dialogue and collaboration among bipartite and tripartite partners in addressing issues in a technology-driven environment.