Nat’l work placement agency Jinggoy’s top priority
ONCE reelected to the Senate, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada will push for the creation of two national agencies to help match skills and labor opportunities for millions of Filipinos displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conceptualized during his 12-year stint as chairman of the Senate labor committee, Estrada said creation of the National Employment Assistance Center (NEAC) and National Manpower Data and Placement Center (NMDPC) should be given top priority given the country’s dire labor situation.
“The unemployment rate has climbed to 8.1 percent based on state figures. Creation of the two agencies will boost government’s ability to match skills and labor opportunities for local employees as well as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs),” he stressed.
Earlier, the former senator from San Juan said he will channel his energy to advocacies that address unemployment and champion the welfare of wage earners if given the chance to make a Senate comeback.
During his more than a decade Senate stint, Estrada racked up a host of pro-labor measures but is seeking a fresh term to continue his advocacies. He was principal author of the Apprenticeship Training Act to provide skills training and access to employment, particularly the youth.
“Also included in the bills I filed were those intended for the safety and welfare of construction workers under the ‘Occupational Safety and Health In The Construction Industry Act’,” he said.
For public transport drivers, Estrada pushed for the “Comprehensive Assistance Program for Public Utility Vehicle Drivers Act” to ensure that they are covered by the Social Security System, Philhealth, social security benefits, livelihood and credit assistance, and aid to their families. “I will strongly pursue these measures again,” he added.
He also vowed to work for measures that will provide support to industries severely affected by the pandemic including wage subsidies to allow factories to keep their roster of workers.
Strengthening the agri sector is also in his Senate priority agenda since agriculture is still the country’s top job generator. “A stronger agricultural sector will also disperse economic progress to the countryside,” said the veteran senator.
