Senators to gov’t: ‘Prevent retrenchment, preserve jobs’

The government has to prioritize funding programs that would prevent retrenchments and preserve jobs while the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two senators issued the appeal as they raised alarm over the Philippine Statistics Authority's (PSA) report on Friday that unemployment rate spiked to a record-high 17.7 percent in April, translating to 7.3 million jobless Filipinos.

This was more than thrice the 5.1 percent rate recorded in the same month last year, and the 5.3 percent norm last January.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said this was the worst so far, surpassing the 10.3 percent unemployment rate during the 1998 recession in the Philippines.

"Nababahala po tayo sa datos na inilabas ng PSA na may 7.3 milyong Pilipinong nawalan ng trabaho ngayong panahon ng pandemya (We are concerned about the data released by the PSA that some 7.3 million Filipinos lost jobs due to the pandemic)," Senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said on Twitter Friday, June 5.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also tweeted: "This is [the] worst unemployment figures that I've seen in recent memory."

Gatchalian said the government should "inject funds into businesses to avert mass layoffs and preserve jobs."

"Job preservation should [go] in tandem with fighting COVID19," he pointed out.

Villanueva had hoped that the proposed "Bayanihan to Recover as One" Act, or Bayanihan 2, being crafted in the Senate would somehow respond to the loss of jobs and livelihood brought about by the pandemic and the lockdowns imposed across to contain it.

The Bayanihan 2 proposed a standby fund of ₱140 billion for COVID-19 response and recovery programs, including a ₱32-billion allocation to assist displaced workers and critically impacted sectors and industries.

The Senate was only able to pass this on second reading before adjourning sine die last Thursday. Villanueva said he was saddened that it was not certified by President Duterte as an urgent measure.

"Nananawagan po tayo sa pamahalaan na unahin ang kapakanan ng mga manggagawa, lalo na’t gutom at lalong hirap ang kanilang mararanasan habang walang tulong na maipapaabot ang gobyerno sa kanila (We appeal to our government to prioritize the welfare of laborers, especially because they will suffer from hunger and poverty pending any assistance from the state)," Villanueva said.

"Tandaan po natin na ang hirap at pagod ng ating manggagawa ang mitsa sa muling pagsigla ng ating ekonomiya (We should remember that the labor of our workers will spark our economic recovery)," he reiterated.

For his part, Gatchalian urged the government "to do more" or else "more people will slide to poverty."

Aside from the rise in unemployment, labor force participation rate also declined to about 55.6 percent in April, the lowest in the history of Philippine labor market.

Bello said he expected these results given the impact of the pandemic. He expressed hope that the labor sector will recover during the gradual resumption of economic activities.

He also assured that the Department of Labor and Employment will continue to provide employment facilitation services while it awaits the approval and implementation of the Duterte administration's recovery plan.