The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) is urging the government to accelerate job matching, redeploy displaced workers, and restart infrastructure and school projects to safeguard jobs as Middle East tensions drive up fuel costs and disrupt supply chains.

At the 4th PSAC Education and Jobs Sector Group meeting at Malacañang, the council also called for nationwide job fairs, fast-tracked hiring across government and private sectors, and micro-credential training for affected workers.

Two-fold focus

“Our focus is twofold: immediate job preservation and long-term workforce transformation. By investing in skills, accelerating job matching, and supporting enterprises, we can help ensure that Filipinos remain productive and competitive despite global headwinds,” said Sabin Aboitiz, PSAC lead convener and CEO of Aboitiz Group.

The council also recommended targeted fuel subsidies, extended tax incentives for export firms and support for public utility vehicles to keep transport running. A faster rollout of digital infrastructure could let more workers shift to remote jobs.

Adopt AIUDA

According to PSAC, the national government can also adopt AIUDA (AI Upskilling para sa Digital Asenso), a rapid re-skilling program that transitions workers into AI and digital roles within weeks, which builds on the Aboitiz Foundation’s Elevate AIDA program.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile, said the talks highlighted strong alignment between government and industry, signaling a shared strategy to protect jobs and stabilize the economy amid global uncertainties.”

“The good outcome here is that we are very much in agreement with the private sector advisors on what needs to be done to mitigate the effects of what is happening in the Middle East,” he said. “So, both the government and private sector are thinking the same way — we are on the same page.”