ADB, govt launch enterprise grants
THE Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with Department of Trade and Industry, launched SkillsUpNet Philippines (SUNPh), which gave grants to five enterprises based in Bicol, Davao and Cebu as part of the government’s National Employment Recovery Strategy 2021-2022.
SUNPh awarded grants ranging from $20,000 to $80,000 to Dagos
Tabi Albay Micro and Small AccommodationEnterprisesNetworkforthe tourism sector; Cebu Constructors’ Network for construction; Cebuanimation Network for information technology-animation; Kapehan Sa Davao for agribusiness; and Sulong Davao Business Owned by Women for women-led enterprises.
Moreover, 66 enterprises and nearly 600 workers will benefit largely from the enterprise-led skills training scheme.
“Through SkillsUpNet Philippines, we are helping the government with one innovative solution to addressing skills-jobs mismatches in the labor market, retooling and reskilling Filipino workers to raise productivity, and improving employees’ prospects for better opportunities and higher incomes,” ADB Vice President Ahmed Saeed said.
Information technology-animation, construction, agribusiness and tourism were identified to receive the enterprise-led workplace skills training under the SUNPh program. The program also includes womenled enterprises as a fifth sector to receive training grants for management coaching and other management-related training. The program also aims to finance short-term skills training for their employees.
The National Employment Recovery Strategy 2021-2022 serves as the government’s masterplan for the recovery of the labor market adversely affected by the pandemic. Its implementation was first conceived in February 2021 and instituted by then-president Rodrigo
Duterte in June 2021 through Executive Order 140, which aims to stimulate the economy and employment, support enterprises, jobs and incomes, and protect workers in the workplace.
As a response to the pandemic and downward trend of the economy, a task force was created to formulate an action plan to address the recovery of the labor market and the prevailing employment issues by providing livelihood, and training projects and programs.